China withdraws as Asian Cup host due to pandemicA woman takes a rapid antigen test for Covid-19 while holding a smartphone at a community centre in Beijing on Saturday. (Photo: AFP)China has withdrawn as the 2023 Asian Cup host due to the coronavirus, football officials said Saturday, with Beijing's strict zero-Covid strategy dealing another blow to the country's sporting ambitions. The Olympic-sized Asian Games, due to be staged in September in Hangzhou, had already been postponed earlier this month, and on Saturday the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said China would not host the Asian Cup. The Asian Cup is staged every four years. It would have been the second time that China had staged the Asian Cup.

Source: Bangkok Post May 14, 2022 18:14 UTC