Tokyo: FIFA president Sepp Blatter gave the go-ahead on Monday for Japan to host the 2011 Club World Cup despite the devastation of the March 11 quake-tsunami disaster and the ensuing nuclear emergency.
There had been doubts over Japan`s ability to stage the December tournament after the triple disaster left nearly 25,000 dead or missing and briefly threw the country`s sporting calendar into disarray.
"We are absolutely confident that Japan will organise this competition," Blatter said after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and football officials."You`ll never know what happens in our disturbed world," the 75-year-old mused. "This is why football can play a part. Football in its continuity can play a good part."
Blatter`s backing came as a further boost after the International Gymnastics Federation ruled Sunday Tokyo could go ahead with hosting the world championships in October, despite other cities offering to take its place.
The International Volleyball Federation has also decided to stick with plans to stage the men`s and women`s World Cup in Japan in November and December.
"We`ll not think that something again would happen in this country. Let`s look forward with optimism and confidence that these competitions will be here like gymnastics, volleyball and others," Blatter said.
"I`m very happy to see other international federations going exactly in the same direction," he added.The annual Club World Cup held in Japan four times before the United Arab Emirates took over hosting duties in 2009, pits the champion teams from all six continental confederations against one another.
Blatter said Kan had assured him of Japan`s "will and determination" to return to the forefront of world sport.
Blatter, seeking a fourth and final four-year term as FIFA president in an election on June 1, said the organisation was considering aid programmes including stadium repairs and a charity match to raise cash for quake reconstruction across Japan.
The disaster has disrupted the sporting calendar, with the world figure skating championships moving from Tokyo to Moscow, the hugely popular professional baseball season was delayed by three weeks and five rounds of football`s J-League were suspended.
International football friendlies in Japan against Montenegro and New Zealand in March were cancelled, while the May 14-15 Yokohama leg of the triathlon world championship series was moved to September.
Rugby union`s world governing body has moved five of the six Pacific Nations Cup matches in July from Japan to Fiji.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.