FIFA U17 World Cup Semi-final venue shifted to Kolkata

by Chittu Shetty October 23, 2017

Damaged to pitch has prompted FIFA to shift the semi-final venue to Kolkata while Fans with tickets have been offered refunds for their inconvenience.

Following a thorough assessment of the pitch conditions at Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, which has been affected by severe rainfall over the past few days, FIFA has decided to move the venue of the semi-final between Brazil and England, due to be played on 25 October 2017, to Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium, where the match will kick off at 17:00 local time.

Despite the great efforts by all involved parties, including the authorities of State Government of Assam, to preserve the pitch, FIFA has taken this decision following consultations with both teams in order to safeguard the players’ health and to ensure the best playing conditions.

Fans with a valid ticket for the semi-final originally planned to take place in Guwahati will be able to request a refund for the purchase value of their tickets, and will also have priority access to purchase tickets for the semi-final in Kolkata.

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Tickets for the rescheduled semi-final match in Kolkata can only be purchased online on the ticketing section of FIFA.com (http://tickets.india2017wc.com/), as of today 23 October at 20:30. All purchasable tickets for this FIFA U-17 World Cup semi-final fixture in Kolkata will be priced at 100 INR and will be made available on a first come, first served basis.

FIFA and the LOC regret that unforeseen circumstances have led to this decision, which will deprive football fans in Guwahati of this semi-final encounter. Both FIFA and the LOC would like to sincerely thank the city of Guwahati and the state government of Assam for their excellent cooperation throughout the competition.

The refund process for the semi-final match previously scheduled in Guwahati is as follows:

For customers who have purchased in cash from the box office:

1. Refund dates: 24 October and 25 October, 2017, 10:00 to 21:00 IST
2. Refund location: Rupnath Brahma Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) Bethkuchi, Near Balaji Temple, Ahom Gaon, Guwahati, Assam 781035
3. Refund process: Please carry the original ticket along with your government issued photo ID. No refunds will be given without both the ticket and the ID
4. Refund mechanism: Cash only

For online customers:

1. Amount will be refunded to the account used for purchase
2. Refunds will be processed starting 28 October until 11 November
3. For customers who purchased tickets in Phase I, only the portion associated with the 25 October ticket will be refunded
4. The refund amount will be the price paid for the ticket, based on the sales phase the ticket was purchased in
5. In case original Guwahati ticket holders wish to attend the match in Kolkata – fans are advised to carry their online proof of purchase to the dedicated ticket counter for Guwahati customers, and buy a ticket. These tickets are also priced at 100 INR.