AUCKLAND – Wellington has been selected to host the Official Draw for the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup on June 1 at New Zealand’s renowned national museum Te Papa. The glittering event is expected to attract high profile attendees from some of FIFA’s 208 Member Associations who will have attended the 58th FIFA Congress held in Sydney on 29 and 30 May.
The Official Draw is the most highly anticipated pre-competition event for the 16 teams that have earned a berth at this year’s tournament kicking off on 28 October in Auckland as well as for fans of the beautiful game worldwide. It sets the stage for the competition by determining the opponents that each team will face during the group stage as well as identifying the venue and date for each match. The New Zealand capital was identified as the ideal site to host international and local celebrities as well as delegations from FIFA and the 16 qualified teams following a FIFA inspection tour last February.
"In New Zealand, we were in the fortunate position of having many great options to choose from in relation to selecting the host city for the draw" said FIFA Head of Women’s Competitions Tatjana Haenni. "However in Wellington, we have a spectacularly beautiful city which is also the centre of government and a real stronghold for football. Te Papa itself is also a splendid iconic national facility which will showcase New Zealand’s cultural heritage."
Chris Simpson, CEO of the Local Organising Committee for the tournament to be held 28 October to 16 November 2008 added, "The decision to host it in our country’s capital reflects Wellington’s proven ability to really support events in their city. It also means that our four host cities will share honours for prestigious events centered around this FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, with Auckland hosting the Opening Ceremony and Final, and Hamilton and Christchurch staging quarter and semi-finals respectively."
Story courtesy of NZF Media
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