A helicopter was used to dry the pitch at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Sarusajai, Guwahati for the FIFA U-17 Semi Final match

After continuous rains affected the condition of the pitch at Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, FIFA has decided to move the venue of the semi-final between Brazil and England.

The match will now be played at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium on October 25 from 5 pm onwards.

The decision was taken despite the efforts by all involved parties, including the authorities of Guwahati, to preserve the pitch. “FIFA has taken the decision following consultations with both teams in order to safeguard the players’ health and to ensure the best playing conditions,” a statement released by the local organizing committee said.

The second semi-final on that day, between Mali and Spain, will still kick off as planned at 8pm local time at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

“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,” the statement added.

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 October 23 at 20:30. All purchasable tickets for this FIFA U-17 World Cup semi-final fixture in Kolkata will be priced at Rs 100 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 statement further said.

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:

  • Refund dates: October 24 and October 25, 2017, 10:00 to 21:00 IST
  • Refund location: Rupnath Brahma Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) Bethkuchi, Near Balaji Temple, Ahom Gaon, Guwahati, Assam 781035
  • 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
  • Refund mechanism: Cash only

For online customers:

  • Amount will be refunded to the account used for purchase
  • Refunds will be processed starting October 28 until November 11
  • For customers who purchased tickets in Phase I, only the portion associated with the October 25 ticket will be refunded
  • The refund amount will be the price paid for the ticket, based on the sales phase the ticket was purchased in
  • 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 Rs 100.

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