FIFA U17 World Cup 2017 City Guide: Kochi
Kochi is the southernmost city to host FIFA U-17 World Cup.Kochi is situated in Ernakulam district of Kerala and is decorated by the Arabian Sea on the west. The port city of Kochi, known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea, is the commercial capital of Kerala and is one of the biggest spice exporters of India.
Geographically Kochi has coordinates of 9.9312° N, 76.2673° E, most of the city lies at sea level and has a coastline of 48km. Kochi has a corporation limit area of 94.88 sq km (36.63 sq mi). The city has a population of 601,574.
The World Cup will be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium situated in Kaloor, Kochi. The stadium is locally known as Kaloor Stadium. Kochi Stadium is touted to be one of the noisiest stadiums in the world, due to its distinct architecture and capacity of over 60,000 (for domestic league matches).
The stadium will have a seating capacity of 29,000 for the upcoming World Cup which has been reduced from an initial capacity of 41,000. The stadium will host eight games in total including one Quarter-Final. There will be only two roads to get into the stadium premises.
Important Distances From The Stadium
The Distance between the Cochin International Airport and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is around 26.1 km.
The Distance between the Nearest Station (Ernakulam North Railway Station) and the Stadium is 3.2 km and distance to Ernakulam South Railway Station is 6.3 km, which is the main railway station in Kochi. A word of caution the routes to both the Railway Station is one of Kochi’s busiest and could take a while to reach your desired destination due to heavy traffic.
The Distance between the Stadium and Kerala State Road Transport Corporation Bus Terminal (KSRTC Bus Terminal) is around 2.5 km.
The Distance between the Stadium and Ernakulam Boat Jetty is around 5.6 km
The Distance between the Stadium and Maharaja's College Ground is around 4.6 km.
The Distance between the Stadium and Parade Ground, Fort Kochi is around 17.1 km.
The Distance between the Stadium and the Sports Academy Ground, Panampilly Nagar is around 5.8 km.
The Distance between the Stadium and Veli Ground is around 15.7 km.
Some Hotels Near the Venue
There are a lot of hotels near the venue and around the city. A simple OYO search will help you book a hotel near the venue and at your desired price. A few good hotels near the venue are:
The Renai, Ernakulam - 4.4k a night.
Treebo North Pride, Ernakulam - 2k a night.
Hotel Presidency, Ernakulam - 2.8k a night.
Imperial Regency, Ernakulam- 5k a night
If you are looking for something cheaper I would suggest you head to Banerji Road or MG Road where there are a lot of cheap and good hotels around the Railway Stations. The distance from MG Road to the stadium will be around 5.5km.
Modes Of Transport
If you are arriving in the city via air, I suggest you take the AC low floor bus of KURTC from Nedumbassery to Aluva. The charges are of minimum ?15 for 5km. From Aluva, you can get a bus to the venue. Another option is hiring a pre-paid taxi to the venue from the airport (which is a costlier option).
If you are arriving in the city via train and get down at the Ernakulam South Railway Station, walk 1 km to get to MG road and take a Bus to the stadium (?9), the bus will stop in from of the stadium. If you want to get rid of the heavy city traffic get to the Maharaja's College Metro station near the Railway station by rickshaw (?20), and get the metro to JLN Metro station (?40) in from of the stadium. Pre-paid cabs are also available from the railway station but aren't pocket-friendly.
If you get down at the Ernakulam North Station, take a rickshaw till north bus stop it will charge you around ?20, from north bus stop take a bus to the stadium, it would charge you ?9. You can also go to Lissie Metro station by rickshaw (?30) and get a metro to JLN stadium which will cost around ?40.
Places To Visit
Do visit the Fort Kochi which is a historical place in the city and one of the main tourist attractions, and if you have time, do visit the following places:
-Sri Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple
-Hill Palace Museum, Tripunithura
-Santa Cruz Basilica
-Boat ride through the Vembanad lake
-Cherai Beach
-Bolgatty Palace
Do's and Dont's
Do's
-Do carry an Umbrella, as it may rain in Kochi
-Do wear light coloured clothes as the humidity would play a big factor
-Arrive at the venue early on matchdays to avoid long queues
Dont's
-Don't Carry Tobacco and inflammable objects inside the stadium
-Don't smoke and drink alcohol Inside the stadium premises
-Don't try to enter No Entry Zones as the security personals have the freedom to detain such persons.
The Nearest Police Station to the Stadium is the Janamythri Police Station, Palarivattom Tele-0484 234 5850
The Nearest Hospital is PVS Memorial Hospital Tele-0484 4182888
Dial 1298 for Ambulance service in the city
Hope you have a great time in the football crazy city.