Centre of Excellence: AIFF to receive 15 acres for ₹1

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had promised AIFF president Praful Patel to provide the land during a programme on the eve of the FIFA U-17 World Cup final at the Salt Lake stadium here.

The Salt Lake Stadium had hosted 11 matches of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, including the final.

The West Bengal cabinet on Monday decided to provide a 15 acre land here to the All India Football Federation on lease for ₹1 to help set up the National Centre of Excellence.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had promised AIFF president Praful Patel to provide the land during a programme on the eve of the FIFA U-17 World Cup final at the Salt Lake stadium here.

“The State has decided to lease out a 15-acre land in New Town to the AIFF to set up the National Centre of Excellence for football. A football stadium and a football academy would also be there,” State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said on Monday after the cabinet meeting.

The cabinet decided that the 15 acres of land will be given to the AIFF for 90 years on an exchange of ₹1 only, he said.

Patel, on October 26 , had said that as a continuing effort of the U-17 World Cup, a National Centre of Excellence for football will be set up with help from FIFA.

The national senior men’s and women’s team as well as age-group teams will be housed in this centre, Patel had said.

The Salt Lake Stadium had hosted 11 matches of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, including the final.