Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2023 Bid Workshop for Bidding Member Associations (BMAs) began in the AFC house in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Wednesday with the three remaining potential hosts -China PR, Korea Republic and Thailand - in attendance.
Staging the AFC Asian Cup, which is the biggest single-sport event in Asia, will involve a broad range of activities, including major investments in stadiums and infrastructure, transporting millions of people to the matches, recruiting and training thousands of volunteers, providing an event that is accessible for everyone, and servicing the 24 participating teams and world’s media.
To ensure that the planning and delivery of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 enhances the positive impact of the event, the AFC and the BMAs will work together to develop a comprehensive vision.
AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John, who gave the opening remarks, welcomed the BMA representatives from China PR, Korea Republic and Thailand, said: “Each edition of the competition represents a huge opportunity: in terms of technical development, commercially, for the global visibility of Asian football, infrastructure development, for the teams and participating Member Associations, the host country and the cities
“The expansion - from 16 to 24 teams from 2019 onwards - into a continent-wide competition will enforce the AFC Asian Cup brand throughout Asia. With more countries involved and more fans engaged, brand recognition will increase significantly all over the Continent. Together we must make sure that we draw the possible benefit out of this opportunity.
“Hosting the AFC Asian Cup is an honour, an opportunity and a responsibility. The AFC will work together with you, the BMAs, to ensure that the AFC’s strategy for the competition is a good fit for the host country.”
The two-day workshop will present several areas of operational matters related to the hosting of the tournament. Information about the bidding process and the next steps in the bidding timeline will also be shared.
Photo: AFC
Source: the-afc.com