FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup: Three Indian cities to host mega event; draw on 24 June

Mumbai: World football body, FIFA on Wednesday named Bhubaneswar, Goa and Navi Mumbai as the host cities for the upcoming FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup to be held in October later this year. FIFA also announced that the draw for the marquee tournament will take place in Zurich on 24 June. Following the cancellation of the 2020 edition of the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FIFA, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) confirmed the host cities after undertaking a comprehensive review and consultation process. “In order to ensure the safety of the players involved and the other participants in the tournament, Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium, Goa’s Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium have been announced as the three venues that will welcome some of the brightest emerging talents and future stars of women’s football,” the LOC said in a media release. Sarai Bareman, FIFA Chief Wome’s Football Officer, said: “Following the recent FIFA visit to India, this is an important step forward and marks the start of the final countdown towards the tournament.” Praful Patel, the LOC chairman, AIFF President and FIFA Council member, added: “Following FIFA’s recent successful visit to India, remaining cognisant of the evolving COVID-19 situation, the new footprint for the tournament was decided upon. “While Goa and Navi Mumbai have already displayed considerable expertise in hosting international tournaments, Bhubaneswar, an upcoming sporting powerhouse, perfectly aligns with the values of growth and development of this youth tournament.” Apart from hosts India, six countries — Brazil, Chile, China PR, Colombia, Japan and New Zealand — have confirmed their participation so far and are sure to feature in the draw on 24 June. With 16 teams set to compete in the tournament, spots are still up for grabs. The tournament is set to be played from 11 to 30 October. Read all the Latest News **,** Trending News **,** Cricket News **,** IPl Live Score Update Latest IPL Schedule 2022 , and , ** IPl 2022 Points table Entertainment News ** here. Follow us on Facebook ,** Twitter and Instagram **.****