Forget football, India needs to fix bathrooms first ahead of Cup

Ahead of the Fifa World Cup in Brazil, participating nations had made various demands of the organisers, some of them bordering on the bizarre. It is now time for India, which is set to host the Under-17 World Cup in 2017, to come under the arc lights. Fifa has already sent a long list of specific stipulations that will leave the tournament organisers with furrowed brows and may evoke a smirk or two in the casual onlooker.

From a fixed number of refrigerators and hair-dryers to even electric shaving points, the list of requirements is specific and exhaustive and, some might even say, obsessive. The guidelines pertaining to modern stadiums also state that dress- Specific weight of ice used in ice baths for players Fixed water pressure in the showers Fruits for players that contain specific nutrients Specific number of printers and toners at all venues ing rooms have to have non-slip floors and telephone connections. According to Javier Ceppi, the tournament director of the local organising committee who kept a remarkably straight face during the interaction, from the weight of the ice used in ice baths in the dressing rooms to the pressure in the showers of the bathrooms, venues have to ensure every stipulation is Minimum number of refrigerators Two hair-dryers in each dressing room Two electric shaving points Non-slip floors in dressing rooms Telephones in dressing rooms adhered to.

“The dressing rooms are also to have certain fruits with specific nutrients,” Ceppi said on the sidelines of the committee’s first kick-off meeting on Friday.

Fifa’s specifications include as many as 349 necessities for the pitch, the overall pitch requirement list stretches to 8532. Another 727 items are listed for training grounds. “If I go on to list all the areas that need to be addressed by each venue, it will take at least a couple of days just to read them out,” Ceppi said. “Even the number of printers and toners required to be made available during the matches at each venue are mentioned,” he added.

India do not exactly have a sterling track record when it comes to hosting such marquee events, here’s hoping that getting these small things right is the first step. ISL TO FOLLOW U-17 WC The U- 17 World Cup would have had a direct bearing on the Indian Super League (ISL) which was also slated to be held during September-October.

According to AIFF general secretary Kushal Das, the ISL will now be held after the Cup.