U-17 World Cup a morale-booster: Vijayan

“The very fact that our country is staging this mega event in itself is going to be a morale booster for the young (footballers). With Kochi becoming one of the venues, this is a great blessing for our youth as this is a great experience,” Vijayan said. 

Lauding KP Rahul, the only Keralite in the India U-17 World Cup squad, Vijayan said: “He is really talented and has been doing his best in all the opportunities that he has got.” 

Vijayan is one of the most decorated Indian footballers of recent times. The 48-year-old, who donned the Indian team jersey 79 times, scored 40 goals in his international career spanning 15 years. 

Vijayan, who also represented Mohan Bagan, East Bengal, JCT Mills and Churchill Brothers, was the first footballer to be nominated as the Indian Player on three occasions. 

Incidentally, both Vijayan and Rahul hail from Kerala’s Thrissur district. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, which is the venue for eight matches, is fully ready with the first two matches scheduled to take place on October 7. All the tickets for these two matches have been sold out.