India 2017 Trophy Experience a huge success

The Trophy Experience kicked off at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi on August 19 and moved on to Guwahati, Kolkata, Mumbai and Goa before drawing to a close in a carnival-like atmosphere at the scenic Vasco da Gama square in Fort Kochi.

Published : Sep 27, 2017 21:52 IST

The Indian Under-17 football team will make its maiden appearance in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup next month.
The Indian Under-17 football team will make its maiden appearance in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup next month.
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The Indian Under-17 football team will make its maiden appearance in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup next month.

India’s football fans thronged to catch a glimpse of the Official Winner’s Trophy of the FIFA U-17 World Cup as the silverware traversed over 16,000km across the length and breadth of the nation, making pit stops in all six host cities.

The World Cup, scheduled for October 6-28, will be hosted by India for the first time.

More than a million Indians from all walks of life, most of them united by their love for the beautiful game, came together to get up close to the coveted trophy that will be lifted by the winning captain at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on 28 October.

The Trophy Experience kicked off at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi on August 19 and moved on to Guwahati, Kolkata, Mumbai and Goa before drawing to a close in a carnival-like atmosphere at the scenic Vasco da Gama square in Fort Kochi.

Kheleo, the official mascot for the tournament, was a hit at all venues, as was the catchy official song – Kar Ke Dikhla De Goal – as India continued to build up to its first-ever appearance in a FIFA tournament.

Among the highlights of the Trophy Experience was the FIFA Legends match on 6 September, which was held to mark the one-month countdown to the tournament. The match saw icons such as Carlos Valderrama, Fernando Morientes, Marcel Desailly, Jorge Campos and Emmanuel Amuneke play a fiercely fought five-a-side game against a team of Indian stars including Indian women’s team captain Ngangom Bala Devi and Arjuna awardee Oinam Bembem Devi.

The six-week long Trophy Experience played an important role in driving enthusiasm and anticipation among Indians, who will now look to carry the festive fervour through into the tournament, which will see young stars from the 24 qualified nations do battle to become champions.

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