FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup to take place from Feb 17 to March 7

New Delhi: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup on Tuesday confirmed that the tournament will now be held from February 17 till March 7, 2021.

The U-17 Women's World Cup had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meet was scheduled to be held in India from November 2-21 across five venues.

"Following today's announcement by FIFA, the AIFF and LOC are pleased with the confirmation of the new dates for FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2020, which will now be held between 17 February and 7 March 2021," the LOC said in a statement.

"The dates were confirmed after taking into account the time needed to complete the UEFA, CONCACAF, CAF, OFC, and CONMEBOL qualification tournaments as well as the best possible conditions in the country to host a successful FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup," it added.

"We are now looking ahead and hoping to host a wonderful tournament that will give women's football in India, the perfect platform to grow and develop.

"All the host cities have put in a lot of effort and commitment so far, and we are happy that the new dates will allow them to make up for the lost time and provide momentum going forward.

"All the stakeholders, including the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, have been supportive of the decision keeping in mind the health, safety and security of everyone involved, especially the teams and fans. The LOC will continue to work together with FIFA, and we remain fully committed to hosting a memorable and successful tournament," the statement further said.

The U-17 Women's World Cup is scheduled to be played across five cities -- Navi Mumbai, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar.