After the harrowing experience on the opening day, the fans were welcome with smiles and improved facilities at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, venue for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup matches.
Thousands of spectators, including school children brought in to cheer the Indian team in their match against United States on October 6, had suffered due to lack of basic facilities like drinking water.
Even as the Local Organising Committee (LOC) passed the buck and blamed the police and the stifling security measures following the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the fact was that the unfortunate incidents had been a collective failure and shown the organisers in a poor light.
READ: FIFA U-17 WC: Indian football’s night of hope
Reacting to the negative reports regarding hardships to fans, the Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had intervened on Saturday and taken stock of the arrangements on a priority basis. “For us, fan experience is extremely important as they are the engine which spurs the entire sporting environment. We are working for primacy of athlete, coaches and fans above everything. Local Organizing Committee, which is solely responsible for the event faced few issues initially, they requested government to pitch in. Government is providing all possible support to ensure smooth execution of games,” Rathore said on Tuesday.
It was a pleasant experience for the fans at the Nehru Stadium on Monday. There was no shortage of drinking water and the entry to the venue was smooth with police reportedly following instructions to keep in mind the interests of the fans.
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