KUALA LUMPUR — World Cup hosts Qatar will stage the 2023
Asian Cup, the
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Monday, after China
withdrew earlier this year because of COVID-19.
اضافة اعلان
China pulled out
in May because of its “zero-COVID” policy, leaving the AFC scrambling to find a
new host for its flagship men’s 24-team football tournament.
The tournament
had been due to be held in 10 Chinese cities from June 16 to July 16 next year.
The AFC did not
say in its statement when the Asian Cup would now take place, but
secretary-general Windsor John told AFP it will likely be in January 2024
because of the cooler weather in Qatar at that time of year.
South Korea and
Indonesia were the other two countries in the running after China’s withdrawal,
but Qatar got the nod — to the obvious displeasure of the Korea Football
Association.
The AFC also
said its executive committee had shortlisted India and Saudi Arabia for the
2027 Asian Cup.
“The AFC
executive committee has today confirmed the
Qatar Football Association as the
host association for the AFC Asian Cup 2023,” the Malaysia-based AFC said in a
statement.
AFC president
Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said Qatar is ready to put on the event
despite the short lead time to prepare. It will also host the World Cup
starting next month.
The AFC chief
hailed Qatar’s “existing world-class infrastructure and unrivalled hosting
capabilities”.
“Qatar’s
capabilities and track record in hosting major international sporting events
and their meticulous attention to detail are well admired throughout the
globe,” he said. “I must also commend the AFC for showcasing utmost
professionalism in conducting a fair and transparent expedited bidding process,
and I thank all our commercial partners and sponsors for their patience during
these unprecedented times.”
Qatar has come
under fire from human rights groups as hosts of the World Cup over the
country’s treatment of migrant workers who built the tournament’s venues.
Qatar, however,
has said it has undertaken reforms in its labor practices.
The Asian Cup is
staged every four years. Qatar won the tournament’s last edition in 2019, which
was hosted by the United Arab Emirates.
Qatar hosted the
1988 and 2011 editions.
South Korean
disappointment
South Korea jointly held the men’s 2002 World Cup with Japan, but has
not staged the Asian Cup since 1960.
The Korea
Football Association (KFA) made clear its disappointment at missing out and
took a swipe at the selection process.
“It has not been
held in Korea, an Asian football powerhouse, for 63 years, and in terms of
rotation and regional balance, it was a reasonable order to hold it in
East Asia,” the KFA said. “Unexpectedly, however, we had to face tough competition
as Qatar jumped into the bid with its abundant financial, human, and material
base.”
It added: “It is
judged that the unconventional offensive and support of Middle Eastern
countries trying to take the lead in Asian football also influenced the
situation.”
Indonesia held
matches at the 2007 Asian Cup along with Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
But earlier this
month, Indonesia was struck by a deadly football tragedy that has become one of
the world’s worst stadium disasters, with experts raising doubts about its
capability to host major international events.
The disaster in an
overcrowded stadium in Malang in East Java left 132 people dead and hundreds
injured.
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