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Arab Times
12-04-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Kuwait's bid to host the 2031 Asian Cup gains traction with the AFC President's visit
KUALA LUMPUR, April 12, (KUNA): Sheikh Ahmad Al-Yusuf Al-Sabah, President of the Kuwait Football Association, has extended an invitation to Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), to visit Kuwait in connection with ongoing discussions about Kuwait's bid to host the AFC Asian Cup 2031. In a statement released by the Kuwait Football Association following a meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Sheikh Ahmad revealed that Sheikh Salman has accepted the invitation and is expected to visit Kuwait soon, coinciding with the arrival of AFC representatives to assess the country's readiness for hosting. Sheikh Ahmad expressed his pleasure at Sheikh Salman's acknowledgment of Kuwait's strong commitment to the bid, highlighting that the meeting was productive and conducted in a positive atmosphere. The meeting was attended by several key figures, including Kuwait's Ambassador to Malaysia, Rashid Mohammed Al-Saleh, Deputy Chairman of the Kuwait Football Association for Technical Affairs, Osama Hussein, and board member Dr. Ahmad Ajab. Also present was Engineer Sarah Al-Fulaith, Acting Deputy Director of the Public Authority for Sport for Facilities and Maintenance, who provided a detailed presentation on Kuwait's sports infrastructure and future development plans. The AFC previously announced that it had received seven official bids to host the AFC Asian Cup 2031, including Kuwait's bid. This demonstrates the tournament's growing stature and the confidence of national associations in their ability to host the event to international standards. Sheikh Salman Al-Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), praised Kuwait for joining six other countries in competing to host the AFC Asian Cup 2031, highlighting the growing significance of the continental championship. During his remarks at the AFC Executive Committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur, held ahead of the AFC Congress, Sheikh Salman acknowledged the "letters of interest" received by the AFC secretariat by the March 31, 2025 deadline. These letters were submitted by Kuwait, Australia, India, Indonesia, South Korea, the UAE, and a joint bid from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Sheikh Salman noted that this record number of bids underscores the increasing importance of the AFC Asian Cup, drawing a comparison to the Qatar-hosted tournament, which attracted record-breaking fan attendance. He also confirmed that Saudi Arabia will host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, with the host country for the 2031 edition to be announced at the AFC Congress in 2026 following a thorough assessment of all bids.
Reuters
12-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Salman wants AFC to consider awarding 2031 and 2035 Asian Cups at same time
April 12 (Reuters) - Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa suggested that the votes for hosting the 2031 and 2035 Asian Cups be held together after confirming a record seven nations had expressed interest in hosting the 2031 finals. Australia, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and a joint bid from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan informed the regional body of a desire to host the tournament before last month's deadline. "I'm delighted to report that the bidding process for the AFC Asian Cup 2031 has received a record level of interest with seven bidders signalling their intent," Sheikh Salman told the AFC's annual congress in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. "This remarkable response underscores the bright future of Asian football, and I express my sincere gratitude to all the member associations who have submitted their interest." India has never hosted the tournament, which started in Hong Kong in 1956, while South Korea, one of the continent's strongest on-field performers, last organised the competition in 1960. None of the Central Asian nations, who gained AFC membership in 1994 following the break up of the Soviet Union, have hosted the finals. A date has yet to be set to decide the winning bid, and Sheikh Salman wants the confederation to consider also awarding the rights for the 2035 event at the same time. "I have requested that the AFC administration explore the possibility of presenting both the bids for 2031 and 2035 editions for the approval at the same congress when the time comes," he said. "This will provide the host member association a longer runway to ensure that we continue to elevate our standards." The 24-team Asian Cup is held every four years, with the next edition to be played in Saudi Arabia in 2027. Qatar hosted the most recent tournament in early 2024, six months later than originally scheduled, due to China's withdrawal as organisers.
