2030 World Cup bid is HerculeanTask

ASEAN is exploring the possibility of entering the competition for one of its 10 member countries to host the FIFA World Cup, the world`s biggest football tournament, in 2030, according to the Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat here Thursday.

"The 2030 World Cup Bid is a herculean task," said ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan as quoted on the ASEAN Secretariat`s official website.

Started out as an informal discussion by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers last July in Ha Noi, the proposal had recently garnered a higher level of interest, following last week`s ASEAN Foreign Ministers` Retreat in Lombok, during which the proposal became one of the highlights. "I am very pleased with the unprecedented level of enthusiasm across the ASEAN region, particularly amongst our sport communities, about the decision to explore ASEAN`s bid to host the 2030 World Cup," said Dr Surin Pitsuwan.

"We are still at an early stage of consultations on strategic implications and a thorough procedural exploration," he continued, "but the advice and opinions that have been generated are most valued, and we expect the debate to continue and widen because we really learn a great deal from the public exchanges."

Malaysia has been tasked to prepare a proposal on the competition to be presented to the ASEAN Leaders at the 18th ASEAN Summit in May. "The ASEAN Secretariat will work closely with Malaysia on this," said Dr Surin. "This will be a long and arduous campaign and we need to be comprehensive and strategic in our approach," he added.

"If ASEAN can work together on this ambitious undertaking, our international prestige and profile will certainly be enhanced, and the confidence in ASEAN will definitely be increased," said Dr Surin. "The people will want to feel more ownership of ASEAN and to assume the ASEAN identity, and be willing to participate more in ASEAN Community building efforts."

Dr Surin added that ASEAN still has to work with existing mechanisms of FIFA. "The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and the other sports authorities, the media, the civil society and, not least, the private sector, within ASEAN will certainly play an important role in this Herculean task," he continued. "We want to turn all sports lovers in Southeast Asia into ASEAN enthusiasts," he concluded. The World Cup is organised by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). Individually, all 10 ASEAN Member States are listed as FIFA`s member associations. The Cup is staged every four years.