'Doors are open for India to host bigger tournaments after positive response for FIFA U-17 WC'

New Delhi, Oct 16: Javier Ceppi, the director of the ongoing Under-17 FIFA World Cup 2017 has hailed the Indian crowds for their enthusiasm of visiting stadiums on a regular basis and also claimed that the doors are open for the country to stage bigger football events in the future.

It is been recorded that already in the group stage matches all around 8,00,000 people have already visited the stadiums across six venues and the numbers are likely to increase when the knockout stage will commence from later this week.

India are hosting their first ever major tournament this year with the FIFA under 17 World Cup and Ceppi claimed that the attendance is as big as India's Cricket World Cup in 2011.

"We are 66 percent into the World Cup. We have 16 matches left and the response has been amazing. After 36 matches, the turnout is more than what was in the 2011 Cricket World Cup after the same number of matches.

"The average attendance has been 23,000 per match. The total turnout so far has been over 800,000," Ceppi told reporters after the group stages came to an end on Saturday.

He also suggested that such record has been taken as a positive response by FIFA and it is very much possible that future tournaments like FIFA Under 20 or Under 19 World cup held here.

Ceppi said: "We are looking at a record attendance at youth tournament here in 2017. At this point, it's double to what Chile had in the entire tournament.

"I think until this moment after hosting 36 matches, the outcome of India hosting further football events and high-level football events is positive because people have realised... you don't know how many calls I got from football people and friends from all around the world saying on TV it looks fantastic.

"How to maintain these in the future is what we need to see. But possibilities are there for India, I am sure," the Chilean, who has been involved with World Cup added.

"The nation, if it were to bid for the U-20 World Cup or other World Cups. I feel there are other facilities that are coming up in the country that would be in a good position to be frontrunners."

FIFA Head of Coaching and Player Development, Branimir Ujevic also hummed the same tune and jokingly compared ticket availability of U17 final with El Clasico.

"At the moment, it seems like it’s much easier to get a ticket for the next El Clasico than it is to get a ticket for the final game of this World Cup,” he added.

The round of 16 games of the tournament will start from today where Colombia will take on Germany in the first match whereas Paraguay will face the USA.