Al-Faisal: 32 Million People in the Kingdom Support Hosting World Cup

 Prince Abdulaziz Al-Faisal said that millions inside the Kingdom support the bid to host the World Cup. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Prince Abdulaziz Al-Faisal said that millions inside the Kingdom support the bid to host the World Cup. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Al-Faisal: 32 Million People in the Kingdom Support Hosting World Cup

 Prince Abdulaziz Al-Faisal said that millions inside the Kingdom support the bid to host the World Cup. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Prince Abdulaziz Al-Faisal said that millions inside the Kingdom support the bid to host the World Cup. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz Al-Faisal said that Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup represents an open invitation to the world to join the Kingdom in the journey of football development.

 

In a post on X, Al-Faisal said that the Saudi bid “is supported by the hopes and dreams of 32 million people in the Kingdom.”

 

The Saudi Football Association announced on Friday the launch of the formal bid campaign to host the 2034 World Cup, which bears the slogan “Growing. Together.”

 

The logo “is designed to capture the essence of Saudi Arabia’s young nation, vibrant society and rich heritage,” the federation said.

 

The logo embodies the process of great transformation and growth that Saudi Arabia is experiencing, making it one of the fastest and most advanced growth stories in the world of football, in addition to the comprehensive positive impact expected from hosting the largest sports tournament in the world.

 

Yasser Al-Meshal, President of the Saudi Football Federation, said that Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup is an exceptional journey to build a better future for the most popular sport in the world.

 

“Submitting the candidacy file to host the 2034 World Cup comes as an important step in the Kingdom’s sporting and football journey in particular. We have made great progress at all levels in the sport of football, and the Kingdom’s candidacy to host the tournament represents an open invitation to the world to join us on this journey,” he stated.

 

For his part, Ibrahim Al-Qassim, the Secretary-General of the Saudi Football Federation, said that the Kingdom will write a new history with the beginning of an ambitious journey to organize the most expensive tournament in the world of football.

 

The Kingdom has recently succeeded in hosting a large number of international sporting events, such as freestyle wrestling shows, Formula 1 championships, and the finals of the Spanish and Italian Super Cups, in addition to the Dakar Rally, and a number of other car and speed racing championships.



South Korea Expresses Regret after Its Athletes Introduced as North Korea at Opening Ceremony

 Athletes of South Korea travel by boat along the Seine river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)
Athletes of South Korea travel by boat along the Seine river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)
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South Korea Expresses Regret after Its Athletes Introduced as North Korea at Opening Ceremony

 Athletes of South Korea travel by boat along the Seine river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)
Athletes of South Korea travel by boat along the Seine river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)

South Korea expressed regret that its delegation of athletes at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday was introduced as from rival North Korea and has demanded assurances from organizers the mistake will not happen again.

As the boat carrying South Korean athletes passed on the Seine, the announcer introduced them as the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" - the official name of North Korea - in French and English.

The announcer used the same introduction when the North Korean delegation passed.

South Korea's vice minister for sports and culture, Jang Mi-ran, who was in Paris, had requested a meeting with International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach, the ministry said in a statement.

"We express regret that the country was introduced as North Korea at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games when the athletes of the Republic of Korea were entering," it said.

South Korea's National Olympic Committee immediately referred the incident to the Games' organizers and requested that the error will not be repeated.

South Korea's delegation includes 143 athletes competing in 21 events. North Korea, which is returning to the Games for the first time since Rio 2016, has sent 16 athletes.