We’re certain to meet May 15 deadline: Kochi U-17 WC official
NEW DELHI: Left red-faced after a stinging assessment by a FIFA team on their readiness to host the U-17 World Cup matches, the local organisers in Kochi on Sunday vowed to keep the stadium ready before the deadline set by FIFA. A FIFA team last week had expressed “deep concern” over the pace of work at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, one of the six venues selected to host matches in October, and set May 15 as deadline for completing the work.
Jamie Yarza, FIFA’S head of events and who led the inspection team, had issued a veiled ultimatum to speed up work on a war footing if the venue wants to host the World Cup matches. The venue was later allotted six Group matches, one Round of 16 and one quarterfinal match. FIFA’S concerns were mainly on two issues. The first is the security risks to the players, officials and fans because of the stores inside the stadium complex and the installation of bucket seats at the 55,000-capacity stadium, which is mandatory for any venue hosting FIFA tournaments or matches. Yarza had made it clear during the visit that these stores will have to be removed or closed down. Some of these stores have even generators and fuel tanks, which is a grave safety and security concern.
Hanish Mohammed, the nodal officer posted by Kerala government to speed up work at the stadium the local organisers have been working on war footing and he is certain to finish work before the May 15 deadline. He said the Kerala government had submitted a written assurance to the FIFA team as well as the Sports Ministry that all the renovation work will be complete and concerns of the world body will be resolved.
“We have sped up the renovation and other works at the main stadium, we are working on a war footing. We can’t fail the football loving people of Kerala. We are 100 per cent sure that all the renovation work as directed by the FIFA team will be completed before the deadline,” Mohammed said. SHANGHAI: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton steered clear of a chaotic start to the Chinese Grand Prix and coasted to victory on Sunday, claiming his fifth title in Shanghai.
Hamilton started from pole position and led from beginning to end to capture the 54th race title of his career and his first of the new Formula One season.
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel recovered from a mishap-filled start to finish in second place, 6.2 seconds behind the Mercedes driver. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen improved from 16th position on the starting grid to finish third, fighting off a spirited challenge from teammate Daniel Ricciardo on the final lap. Ricciardo ended up in fourth position, followed by Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen in fifth and Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas in sixth. A dramafilled start on a wet track from rain earlier in the day set the stage for Hamilton’s victory and Mercedes’ recovery after Vettel surprisingly captured the season’s opening race at the Australian Grand Prix last month. The drivers had barely left the starting grid when Williams’ Lance Stroll bumped against Sergio Perez of Force India and spun off the track into a bed of gravel. A short time later later, on the fourth lap, Antonio Giovinazzi hit a wet patch and slammed into the wall, severely damaging his Sauber car and bringing the race to a halt again. During the safetycar slowdowns to remove both cars from the track, the top drivers pitted to change tires, reshuffling the starting order. Hamilton emerged from the fray with a hold on the lead, but Vettel and Bottas slipped back several places and had to fight the rest of the race to catch up.