Saudi Arabia’s policy of not allowing single women into the country means it is likely to miss out on the chance to host the 2019 Asian Cup finals, local daily al-Sharq reported on Monday.
“There is the crucial issue of allowing women supporters in stadiums. Several countries have companies that organize trips for the games and these invariably include women. The problem is that Saudi Arabia does not allow women who do not have male relatives with them to enter the country,” an official from the Asian Football Confederation told the newspaper.
Eleven countries have shown interest in hosting the 2019 Asian Cup finals, but three of them - Lebanon, Malaysia and Myanmar - have pulled out of the race.
Along with Saudi Arabia, the remaining countries are Bahrain, China, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.
Also Read
-
World Cup teams could take ‘a month’ to acclimatize to Qatar
Teams contesting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will need a month to prepare for the country’s sweltering heat, according to a report by a British ... Sports -
Israel grants youth Arab football teams entry to Palestine
Israeli authorities bowed to pressures from the Union of European Football Associations UEFA and allowed border access to participants in the 4th West ... Sports -
Palestine football chief demands Israel expulsion from FIFA
The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) on Thursday urged FIFA to expel Israel from the international federation, saying it had refused to allow ... Sports
