2017: India debuts on global stage, successfully hosts FIFA U-17 WC

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New Delhi, Dec 26: India took nascent yet a giant stride in the year 2017 after successfully hosting the FIFA Under-17 World Cup. In a country where cricket is a religion, people accepted the tournament with open arms and showered all their love and attention.

Every participating nation was not only impressed with the world-class facilities and hospitality, wherever they went, but was also amazed at the kind of football the debutant Indian U-17 side played in their group stage.

Even the organisers didn't expect it to be such a huge hit in a country where every other sport takes a back seat, except cricket. The successful organisation of this biennial global extravaganza managed to break the common perception that no sport other than cricket has bright future in India.

A large number of spectators present at each venue during every big game and the television audience confirmed India loves and closely follows 'The Beautiful Game' and ensured that the event was a resounding success. It was a flawless event that both fans, as well as the organisers, would remember for a long long time until India hosts another FIFA event in the future.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino was so impressed with the arrangements that he claimed India is a Football nation now.

"Thank you very much all the Indians. That's most important. It's a great pleasure to be here," Infantino said.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Infantino remarked, "Herewith, I also would like to praise the remarkable work and efforts of the All India Football Federation to implement new plans for the development of our sport in your country, such as the Mission 11 Million and the construction of the AIFF National Centre of Excellence in Kolkata. I would like to reiterate my thanks for your contribution towards supporting football development and promoting the values of our sport in your country."

Records set during FIFA U-17:

The U-17 World Cup in India turned out to be a milestone event as it became the most attended and highest scoring tournament in its history. It became the most attended men's age-group World Cup ever, shattering the most attendance record of FIFA U-20 World Cup.

With a crowd turnout of 66,684 for the summit clash, the total attendance at the six host venues reached 13,47,143, which was 1,16,167 more than the earlier record attendance of 12,30,976 set in the first edition in China in 1985.

The total spectators in this FIFA event were 37,214 more than the record of highest attendance in a U-20 World Cup - that of 13,09,929 in Colombia in 2011.

FIFA U-17 2017 also became the highest scoring tournament with 177 goals from 52 matches, bettering the earlier highest of 172 during the 2013 edition held in the United Arab Emirates.

All these figures promise a bigger picture and point towards one thing and that is: future of football is bright in India. The game's global governing body was impressed with the way the fans welcomed the sportspersons with open arms and made it a resounding success.

A decent debut for India in a FIFA event:

India colts created history when they made their FIFA World Cup debut against the dominant USA in front of an almost full house at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The Boys in Blue might have lost all their games in the group stage of the global event but made the nation proud by their skills and talents.

If Jeakson Singh entered his name in the history books by becoming the first Indian to score a World Cup goal, goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem won over several hearts with his undying attitude.

In all three games in the group stage, Dheeraj made numerous saves even as the gap between India and all others in their group was huge. Coach Luis Norton de Matos seemed pleased with the efforts of his boys who were physically no match to their counterparts.

A fighting spirit shown by Indian colts would encourage youth to take up football more seriously. The youngsters are not only getting recognised by fans, even the domestic football clubs are showing a keen interest in these young talents.

What future has in store for India?

By successfully hosting this edition of the event, India sent a strong signal to the world that it is a potential market which can't be ignored anymore. The record-breaking crowd turnout and television impressions could turn out to be a lesson for various European leagues.

La Liga scheduling El Classico matches, keeping Asian markets in mind could be understood as an impact of FIFA U-17 World Cup. The European leagues have slowly started realising the scopes and promise the Indian markets present.

Even Premier League is making constant and conscious effort to familiarise itself with the fans and audiences in India in a bid to expand its base in the sub-continent. They are sending legends of the game to engage with the Indian audiences and who knows, we might just get to witness a Premier League friendly match on Indian soil in the near future. Credit for the same would definitely be given to the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017.