The India U-17 football team is all set to train in Bengaluru from August 16th as part of their preparation for the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup which will be held in India.
The Indian colts recently toured Mexico where they took part in a four-nation tournament, facing off against Colombia, Chile and the hosts.
The Cubs unfortunately lost the opening game against Mexico 5-1 followed by another 0-3 defeat against Colombia. Their final match of the tour was something to cheer about where they held South American U-17 Championship runners-up Chile to a 1-1 draw.
Norton de Matos guiding the U17 team to promising times
The team is expected to camp in Bengaluru throughout August and will then shift camp to Goa in September. Towards the end of September, the team is expected to travel to Delhi where India will play their group games.
With less than two months to go for the main tournament, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is making sure that the team gets the best possible exposure.
AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das told Goal, "Yes, the team will be coming to India and will be based in the country now. They will start training in Bengaluru from next week."
Luis Norton de Matos’ side have produced quite a few exciting results in the past few months. They managed draws against Benfica U-17 side and had defeated an Italian U-17 side 2-0 and thrashed a Spanish academy side Alcala 11-1 during their European exposure tour.
India are placed in a tough group alongside Colombia, USA and Ghana. They will be up against USA in the opening match of the tournament in New Delhi on October 6th.