LAHORE      -      Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Vice President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat has said that AFC Executive Committee has taken important decisions especially about the competitions in future.

“To bring the future competitions under the patronage of the AFC to the highest levels, certain important decisions are taken,” Faisal told The News after attending the AFC EXCO held in Hong Kong. The committee was chaired by the AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa where it has agreed that the hosts for the future AFC Asian Cups should be given more preparation time in the future.

At this occasion, the AFC President said that the hosts for the future AFC Asian Cups should be given more preparation time in the future – with the 2027 hosts being appointed as soon as possible. “At the AFC 29th Congress in Paris, we chose the People’s Republic of China as the next hosts of the AFC Asian Cup in 2023. And I know that China PR will deliver a world class event – in keeping with the stature of the AFC Asian Cup.

“But China PR has just four years in which to prepare – and although they are extremely capable - I would like to allow future hosts even more time. With the expanded format, which was launched in the UAE in 2019, we have 24 teams and 51 matches and so we need eight to ten world-class stadiums. The scale of the tournament now may mean some construction work, which of course takes planning and time. We need to develop the best facilities for players, fans and for our broadcast and commercial partners in line with the stature of the AFC Asian Cup as a world-class event,” he added.

Faisal Saleh Hayat, who is also the chairperson AFC Legal committee has said that under the leadership of AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the EXCO has reaffirmed its support for the promotion of women, prohibition of harassment in any form and the protection of minors as proposed by the AFC Legal Committee.

On the eve of the AFC Annual Awards Hong Kong 2019, the Executive Committee also approved that the AFC Annual Awards 2020 will be held in Qatar and that the AFC’s 30th Congress will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 16, 2020, he added.