عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Australia Eyes Hosting 2030 or 2034 World Cup

Australia is confident of winning the race to host the 2030 or 2034 Fifa World Cup. Photo: DPA
Australia is confident of winning the race to host the 2030 or 2034 Fifa World Cup. Photo: DPA
TT
TT

Australia Eyes Hosting 2030 or 2034 World Cup

Australia is confident of winning the race to host the 2030 or 2034 Fifa World Cup. Photo: DPA
Australia is confident of winning the race to host the 2030 or 2034 Fifa World Cup. Photo: DPA

Australian football chiefs are formulating plans to host either the men's 2030 or 2034 World Cup to build on the country's successful bid for the women's 2023 tournament, top officials said Thursday.

The move follows Australia's failed tilt for the 2022 event, which was funded with Aus$45 million (US$33 million) of taxpayer money but garnered just one vote, with Qatar controversially winning the race, reported Agence France-Presse.

But Football Australia chief executive James Johnson believes the time could be right to try again, on the back of the joint hosting with New Zealand of the 2023 women's World Cup and the country being awarded the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane.

"We'll host a great competition in 2023," he told The Australian newspaper.

"We're going to wrap a legacy around it for the game, but we've got to squeeze more juice out of this and it could be a stepping stone with a successful delivery of that toward more FIFA competitions.

"And there's a trend," he added. "Look at Canada, which hosted the women's World Cup in 2015 and 11 years later they're going to host the men's World Cup with the US (and Mexico). Look at Brazil -– they hosted the World Cup in 2014 and Olympics in 2016."

Johnson conceded the 2030 tournament was likely to go to Europe or South America, given the next one is in Qatar, which like Australia is part of the Asian Football Confederation, and the 2026 event is in North America.

But 2034 was more open.

Preliminary discussions between Football Australia and state-based major events officials have already taken place, according to former Sydney 2000 Olympics bid chief Rod McGeoch.

He now heads up Destination New South Wales and told the newspaper he was working on building support to move an official bid forward.

"I have started (working on a possible bid) for 2030... I feel we have got to start," he said.

"We are quietly working away and with the women's World Cup in 2023, that is a big opportunity for us (as) FIFA will have an office in (Sydney)."

The Australian team has qualified for the last four World Cups and is on track to make it five in a row in Qatar.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Open Water Swimmers Train in Seine Ahead of 10-kilometer Marathon Races

07 August 2024, France, Paris: Germany's Florian Wellbrock fills a bottle with water during the first training session for Olympic open water swimmers in the Seine after it was cancelled over water quality concerns. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa
07 August 2024, France, Paris: Germany's Florian Wellbrock fills a bottle with water during the first training session for Olympic open water swimmers in the Seine after it was cancelled over water quality concerns. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa
TT
TT

Open Water Swimmers Train in Seine Ahead of 10-kilometer Marathon Races

07 August 2024, France, Paris: Germany's Florian Wellbrock fills a bottle with water during the first training session for Olympic open water swimmers in the Seine after it was cancelled over water quality concerns. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa
07 August 2024, France, Paris: Germany's Florian Wellbrock fills a bottle with water during the first training session for Olympic open water swimmers in the Seine after it was cancelled over water quality concerns. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa

Olympic open water swimmers trained in the long-polluted Seine River on Wednesday after Paris organizers determined it was safe to dive in.
A two-hour training session was held on a cool, cloudy morning, providing the only chance for swimmers to familiarize themselves with the picturesque course through the middle of the French capital.
Dozens of swimmers — from 2016 Olympic champion Sharon van Rouwendaal to Ireland's Daniel Wiffen, competing in open water for the first time — dove into the Seine one day before the women’s 10-kilometer marathon event. The men’s race is set for Friday.
Before diving in, several swimmers checked out the conditions from the famed Pont Alexandre III, adorned with golden statues and overlooking the starting buoy and finishing chute.
“I think if anyone’s saying they’re not concerned at all, they’re probably lying,” Austrian swimmer Felix Auboeck said. “I am concerned. I just hope and trust the organization in the sense that they let us in when it’s safe enough to do so. But, of course, you’re concerned because no one wants to get ill or sick.”
Then again, Auboeck can see the appeal of swimming in the Seine at the course that has the Eiffel Tower, the gold-domed Invalides, and other stunning Paris landmarks for a backdrop.
“It is super exciting that this is scenery where we are racing,” The Associated Press quoted him as saying. “That’s probably like the best thing we can do for the sport.”
World Aquatics canceled a test run Tuesday because of concerns over fluctuating bacteria levels in the waterway. Despite massive efforts to clear the Seine, water quality has been a constant concern throughout the Games.
But officials expressed confidence that both races will be held without any issues, especially with a favorable forecast that calls for sunny skies in the afternoon and little chance of rain.
Open water swimmers do most of their training in the controlled conditions of a pool. While concerns about bacteria levels in the Seine might have prompted some to skip the training session and limit their time in the river to the actual event, it appeared that a majority took advantage of the training session — especially to check out the strong current that has also raised concerns.
The current has been measured at 2-3 mph, a significant challenge when going upstream on the six-lap course.
“The current is just going to be another challenge,” Auboeck said. “It’s going to be very, very different to what we have seen before. I wish there would have been more practice races with a current like this. That would have been good.”
Triathlon events have already been held in the river, though the schedule was upended by the readings that are taken daily of the water quality.
Now, it’s time for open water, which at least has a backup plan in place if the Seine is determined to be unsafe. The races would be shifted to Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, site of the rowing and canoeing events.
The triathlon mixed relay event was held Monday. World Triathlon released data Tuesday showing the levels of fecal bacteria E. coli and enterococci were within acceptable levels for the length of the triathlon relay course during those swims.
The marathon swims take place on longer portions of the river and will start and finish at the Pont Alexandre III. Marathon swimmers do six laps on the 1.67-kilometer (1 mile) course for a total of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles.)
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who took a highly publicized swim in the Seine in July to allay fears about water quality ahead of the Olympics, expressed confidence in the preparations.
“There’s been a clear improvement of the weather these past few days,” she said. “So I’m really proud and happy and to all those who want to continue saying it’s impossible to depollute a river, I tell them, ’Yes it’s possible, we did it.’”