Canada 2015’s National Organising Committee reports that the country is well on its way towards finalising preparations to host the largest women’s football event in the world.
At the conclusion of the FIFA site inspection with the National Organising Committee in the six host cities for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™, FIFA praised Canada’s infrastructure and operations.
“Canada is well on track,” Tatjana Haenni, FIFA Deputy Director of the Competitions Division and Head of Women’s Competitions said while visiting Vancouver’s BC Place stadium. “We’ve inspected the six stadiums and, overall, we are pleased with Canada’s readiness. Next year’s competition will bring the world’s best players to Canada. Through the worldwide coverage of the best female players, it will inspire young girls around the world to get involved in women’s football.”
Pre-competition site inspections are fundamentally important to consolidate operational plans in various areas of the competition, including team services, stadium operations, media operations, broadcasting, marketing, protocol, spectator services, transport, catering and volunteers. Over the past week in Canada, FIFA and NOC officials have worked together to confirm room requirements and allocations, as well as paths of travel within the stadium for teams, volunteers and spectators, and to address security requirements, all with a view towards offering players and fans an exceptional experience at every venue.
Quality football turf is an essential component of this competition and the NOC’s efforts to promote and grow the beautiful game in Canada. As a standard practice, an independent consultant joined the FIFA delegation in Canada to inspect the six stadiums’ playing surfaces to ensure they meet the FIFA 2-Star football turf requirements. Additionally, the NOC has engaged a certified testing agency, which is currently testing all stadium pitches to ensure that the performance standards of the FIFA 2-Star programme are met in all venues. All certification steps for stadium pitches are expected to be completed by early 2015.
“Canada prides itself on being a warm and hospitable country, and we are truly looking forward to welcoming the world’s best female players next year,” Peter Montopoli, Chief Executive Officer of the NOC said. “All 24 participating nations will benefit from consistent, quality playing surfaces ensuring an equitable opportunity to achieve their best performance. We will deliver sustainable stadiums while upholding the FIFA requirements to provide the highest international quality.”
Hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup will give Canada the opportunity to further develop women’s football both domestically and internationally, and the Canadian Soccer Association is proud to be giving back to Canadians and women’s sport in a substantial and impactful way.
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