FIFA pays tribute to Mohun Bagan’s historic triumph

Kolkata, April 28 (IANS) In a tribute to Mohun Bagan's historic victory in the final of the 1911 IFA Shield, world football's governing body FIFA has announced that tickets for this year's U-17 World Cup will go on sale on the evening of May 16 at the exact time of 19:11.

Mohun Bagan's triumph over East Yorkshire Regiment in 1911 marked the first time an Indian club defeated a British team in the final of a major tournament.

The U-17 World Cup is scheduled to start on October 6 while the final is slated for October 28 at the iconic Vivekananda Yuva Bhartiya Krirangan here.

"In six months' time there will be a new world champion. We cannot stress enough how relevant this is for football in India and around the planet. There are already 11 teams qualified and all of them promise to put on a fantastic show. We are really looking forward to seeing which would be the two that will make it to the final in Kolkata," Tournament Director of the Local Organising Committee Javier Ceppi said in a statement on Friday.

"It is a huge responsibility for Kolkata as the whole world will be watching. Everything must go as per plan in following all the international standards that a FIFA tournament brings in to place. We are working with the state of West Bengal that everything is run as per the FIFA protocol and that we can have a fantastic final."

Project Director of the Local Organising Committee Joy Bhattacharjya said that the Yuva Bhartiya Krirangan attracts huge crowds whenever Mohun Bagan take on arch-rivals East Bengal and the organisers expect a similar attendance for the U-17 World Cup final.

"I have seen 130,000 people pack the stadium and there are very few places in the world which can replicate the atmosphere that the venue manages to create on such occasions. I can promise that the World Cup Final experience there would be unbelievable too," he said.

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