Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Oct 17: World Cup hosts Qatar will stage the 2023 Asian Cup after China withdrew earlier this year because of Covid, the Asian Football Confederation said on Monday.
In June 2019, China won the bid to host the competition, but due to its “zero-Covid” policy, it withdrew in May of this year, leaving the AFC racing to find a new host for its premier men’s 24-team football tournament.
“The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) executive committee has today confirmed the Qatar Football Association (QFA) as the host association for the AFC Asian Cup 2023,” the Malaysia-based body said in a statement.
The competition was scheduled to take place in 10 Chinese cities between June 16 and July 16 of the next year.
The last major economy currently battling Covid-19 within its borders is China, which is doing so with a number of draconian tactics like travel bans, mass testing, and instant lockdowns.
Every four years, the Asian Cup is held. The United Arab Emirates served as the tournament’s host nation for its most recent iteration, which Qatar won.
Notably, South Korea and Indonesia were the other two countries that participated in the bidding to host after China’s withdrawal. Qatar will host the World Cup starting next month.
