July 8 – Tani, the mascot for the U-17 Women’s World Cup 2024 in the Dominican Republic, has been unveiled with 100 days to go until the tournament begins.
The mascot,will be seen at games in the two host cities: the capital Santo Domingo, at the Felix Sanchez Stadium, and in Santiago de los Cabelleros, at the CFC Stadium.
FIFA say that the mascot’s name was inspired by the Taíno people indigenous to the Caribbean island and merged with the name ‘Ana’, which in the Taíno language translates as ‘flower’.
The character was designed to embody the ‘tremendous’ natural beauty of the country, modelled around the Bayahibe rose – the national flower of the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Republic, which will become the home of a new Concacaf regional training and match complex, is hosting a FIFA event for the first time.
This tournament’s crop of players will be the last to compete in the tournament’s current biennial 16-team format before it is expanded to an annual 24-team competition from 2025.
The 16 participating teams will be Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, England, Japan, Kenya, DPR Korea, Korea Republic, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, Spain, USA and Zambia.
Tickets for the tournament go on sale on August 16, with the event set to kick off on October 16.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1734933339labto1734933339ofdlr1734933339owedi1734933339sni@g1734933339niwe.1734933339yrrah1734933339