U-17 Women World Cup organisers to intensify marketing push

AMMAN — With the approach of the FIFA U-17 Women World Cup in Jordan, the competition's Local Organising Committee (LOC) announced on Wednesday that it will intensify the marketing campaign in the Kingdom to attract a great number of football fans.

Samar Nassar, the committee's CEO, said it launched a new campaign dubbed "You Are Player Number 12" that targets Jordanian football fans in order to encourage them to follow the competition's updates and motivate them to attend the matches. 

"Six months remain for the beginning of the tournament, and the target we have to meet during the three-week competition is 150,000 fans. We need the media's support to keep encouraging the fans to attend the matches and spread the World Cup excitement around the country," she told reporters at Al Hussein Youth City in Amman.

Nassar noted that the campaign is part of a marketing plan designed to further promote the tournament among football fans. 

"We will hold a number of activities to target a large number of fans. Also, we will launch the mascot of the World Cup  next month, and on May 30, we will hold the World Cup draw at Al Hussein Cultural Centre in Amman, which will be attended by many distinguished guests," she said.

Nassar added that tickets will be available afterwards online and they will be sold at "affordable prices", while the official song will also be released soon. 

"We will hold a tour to show the prestigious trophy all over the Kingdom in order to enable Jordanians to take photos with it," she added. 

Sami Majali, the president of the Higher Council for Youth (HCY), said work is ongoing to prepare the facilities to host the matches. 

"HCY is in charge of 70 per cent of the infrastructure, while the Greater Amman Municipality is in charge of 30 per cent. The pitch of the Amman International Stadium is ready, while the pitch of Prince Al Hassan Stadium [in Irbid] will be ready in 10 days and the Prince Mohammad Stadium [in Zarqa] has been ready for a month," Majali told reporters.

"All the chairs are also ready and they will be numbered soon," he said, adding that large screens have been set up at the three sports cities that will host the matches. 

During the championship, over the course of 22 days, 16 teams will play 32 matches on four stadiums in Amman, Irbid and Zarqa.

The Amman International Stadium, in Al Hussein Youth City, has a capacity of 13,000. 

The King Abdullah International Stadium, located in King Abdullah II Sports City in Qweismeh, has a capacity of 12,000.

Irbid's Prince Al Hassan Stadium, located at Al Hassan Sports City, 88km north of Amman, has a capacity of 12,000.

Prince Mohammad Stadium, in Zarqa, can accommodate 12,000 spectators and is 33km northeast of Amman.

Majali said the training facilities are almost ready, with some work on their infrastructure remaining.

LOC Chairman Salah Sabra said a security committee has been formed that includes all the security agencies in the Kingdom, adding that safety will be guaranteed during the tournament.