Sports
AIFF wants to host U-20 World Cup
Manchester: Having already bagged the hosting rights for the 2017 U-17 World Cup, the All India Football federation (AIFF) has now set its eyes on the U-20 version.
“Going forward, we will be bidding for the under-20 World Cup, that is a natural progression,” AIFF general secretary Kushal Das told the Soccerex convention here on Tuesday.
According to Das, the U-17 World Cup will boost the popularity of the game in the country and help to improve infrastructure.
Das also informed the gathering that the AIFF will merge the I-League with the star-studded Indian Super League (ISL) in the future.
“At some point we have to have one league, which will be profitable, which will be economically sustainable,” he said.
“We are working on it. We are talking to all the stakeholders. It will take some time. It is difficult to clearly outline when that will happen. It will happen.”
The second season of the lucrative ISL will start next month. Comprising eight teams, the tournament boasts of several former World Cup stars and claims to have the world’s fourth biggest attendances after the English, German and Spanish leagues.
AIFF officials also said that they are aiming to train thousands of Indian coaches to rejuvenate football at the grassroots level.
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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.