The ACT is supporting a national bid by Australia to host the 2015 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, which will see six games played in Canberra.
Chief Minister Jon Stanhope said the ACT would join NSW, Victoria, Queensland and the Federal Government as well as the Football Federation Australia to bid for the football tournament, which is held every four years.
If our bid is successful, Canberra is expected to host six group games and a quarter final, potentially hosting the likes of recent World Cup participants Japan and South Korea.
These games would offer local football fans world-class sporting action and attract significant visitors to the ACT providing a boost for tourism operators and the thousands of Canberrans they employ.
The 2015 event will involve the top 16 teams qualifying out of 46 AFC nations including Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, India and the United Arab Emirates.
The ACT's existing facilities at the Canberra Stadium comply with AFC requirements and no major upgrades are necessary to host the matches.
The Asian Cup determines Asia's champion football nation and representative in the next FIFA Confederations Cup. Qatar will host the next Asian Cup in January 2011.
The 2007 Asian Cup attracted a television audience of 700 million.
Authorised by A.Barr, Australian Labor Party (ACT Branch), 21 Torrens Street, Braddon, 2612. Site by Kudasai
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