By JOEL BAILEY Wednesday, September 3 2008

TRINIDAD AND Tobago will have the distinction of hosting the second-ever FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup in 2010.

Making this revelation was FIFA vice-president and special advisor to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) Jack Austin Warner during a media conference at the Banquet Hall, Queen’s Park Oval yesterday.

This is the second FIFA Under-17 World Cup to be staged on these shores, as the men’s version was held in 2001.

The inaugural Under-17 Women’s World Cup will take place in New Zealand from October 28 until November 16.

The CONCACAF Final Round qualifiers were staged here in TT in July, with the United States, Costa Rica and Canada taking the three available spots.

Warner stated, “we came close, a couple months ago, and now FIFA has given us the okay to host (it in) 2010.

“We shall be there, as hosts, come what may,” he added.

“Our Under-15 girls therefore, as expensive as it is, shall have to go on tours and get training and so on.

“The whole team has to be restructured and revamped because, whenever you have to play in that competition, you have to play well.”

Warner made it clear, since April, that he planned to get FIFA approval for staging the Women’s Under-17 World Cup here in Trinidad and Tobago.

“FIFA has approved it,” he affirmed. “You can recall we said to the Government we shall host it with no funds from them. “We got letters from the Ministry of National Security and the Ministry of Finance, which FIFA accepted,” he continued. “They have now given us the green light to go ahead.”