BANGKOK: Southeast Asian countries signed a deal with football’s global governing body FIFA on Saturday to jointly boost the sport as its president said he was happy with the region’s plan to bid for the 2034 World Cup. The deal, signed at the summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), aims to boost investment, capacity building and education for the sport in the region, particularly through FIFA’s Football for Schools Programme. “After some decades of discussions between all the ASEAN countries, finally, we found the one topic that unites everyone. The signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) came after ASEAN leaders earlier this year expressed interest in a joint bid to host the World Cup in 2034. The idea of ASEAN hosting the World Cup was first mooted at the beginning of the decade and advocates say the move could help the region’s profile and integration.

Source: New Strait Times November 02, 2019 17:37 UTC