China 2023 set to be ‘biggest and most watched AFC Asian Cup’
- AFC secretary general Windsor John praises progress on football specific stadiums for the tournament despite Covid-19 impact
- ‘We are sure that the AFC Asian Cup will be a significant moment in the next stage of the growth of the game in China,’ he says
Speaking to Chinese media on Friday, John praised the preparations for the tournament, which includes the building of several football specific stadiums.
“Such cooperation early in the planning for what will be the biggest and most watched AFC Asian Cup in history has been invaluable and we thank the LOC as well as the CFA for their important contributions,” John said.
Several of China’s historic football stadiums, such as the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing, are undergoing renovations for the tournament.
“There has also been significant development in the construction of football specific stadiums and there is no doubt that the People’s Republic of China will provide the perfect platform for the competition.
“Work is already under way at the iconic Beijing Workers Stadium while in Shanghai the new Pudong Stadium is already close to completion and the other eight grounds are in differing stages of development,” the AFC head added.
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The next AFC Asian Cup will be three days longer than the previous tournament in the UAE in 2019.
“The new dates also allow the competition to be staged when we can guarantee maximum media and fan engagement – and along with the LOC, we have a desire to reach 10 billion engagements and allow the competition to be played across two holiday weekends, which will give more fans the chance to attend or watch this historic competition,” he said.
“Finally, the reason the competition is longer than in the UAE is also to allow time for a fair distribution of matches across all the venues and also to enable the time for teams, where required, to travel between venues.”
John said that the tournament will provide a great opportunity for the hosts.
“This tournament presents a magnificent opportunity for China PR to show the world that it can successfully stage one of the biggest national team competitions – and I have no doubt that they will do just that.
“The legacy of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 could be a significant stepping stone to achieving the objectives set out in the 2016 Medium- and Long-Term Development plan for football in the People’s Republic.
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“Once more the AFC Asian Cup will showcase China PR not only as a football nation but also its strength in technology as well as demonstrating the tourism potential and the rich cultural diversity of the country.
“The AFC is always there to support the CFA and we are sure that the AFC Asian Cup will be a significant moment in the next stage of the growth of the game in China,” John added.
The tournament is set to take place from June 16 to July 16, 2023.
