China drops out of 2019 Asian Cup bid

China on Thursday withdrew its bid to host the Asian Cup football tournament in 2019.

Beijing: China Thursday withdrew its bid to host the Asian Cup football tournament in 2019.

"The CFA notified the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) of its intention to host the 2019 Asian Cup earlier this year. But, after a thorough analysis and review, the CFA has decided to withdraw from the bidding process," the CFA said in a statement, reports Xinhua. Eleven countries had expressed their interest to host Asia Cup 2019 when the bidding started. In addition to China, Lebanon, Malaysia and Myanmar have since pulled out of the race. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Iran and Thailand are still in contention. China last staged the Asian Cup in 2004. Australia is slated to host the next edition of the continent`s football showpiece in 2015. IANS