WEB DESK
China has pulled out of hosting next year’s AFC Asian Cup due to Covid-19 situation in the country. In a statement, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said their Chinese counterparts had told them they “would not be able to host the tournament”. A new host country would be confirmed soon, it added.
China was awarded hosting rights for 2023 AFC Asian Cup in 2019 and the 24-team competition was scheduled to be held across 10 cities between June 16 and July 16, 2023.
Next year’s AFC Asian Cup has become the latest tournament to become a victim of the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak in mainland China, with China already announced to postpone the University World Games, the Asian Games, and the Youth Asian Games, all of which it was expected to host this year.
China has been struggling with a new wave of Covid-19 outbreaks with country’s financial capital Shanghai remaining in lockdown for past more than 45 days and many other cities including capital Beijing in semi-lockdown stepping up virus controls, conducting daily mass tests, and curbs on public transport, etc. all under China’s much-touted dynamic zero-covid policy which has been recently criticized by World Health Organization which termed it unsustainable in view of the constantly changing behaviour of the coronavirus and called on Beijing to shift its strategy.