Sports
Football: Age limit could be raised for Tokyo Olympics tournament- FIFA
The age limit for the Tokyo Olympics men’s football tournament could be raised, world football ruling body FIFA said on Friday.
It said this was to ensure that players who were eligible in 2020 will not miss out following the postponement of the Games until the following year.
Olympic football is usually restricted to under-23 teams for the men’s tournament, with three overage players allowed per team.
“However, a working group set up by FIFA recommended on Friday that the competition should remain open to players born on or after Jan. 1, 1997, as originally planned,’’ FIFA said in a statement.
This will effectively raise the age limit by one year, as requested by both South Korea and Australia.
There is no age limit for the women’s tournament.
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The working group also recommended the postponement of all international matches due to be played in June.
This is a formality as Euro 2020, the Copa America and the month’s World Cup qualifiers have already been called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The recommendations still have to be approved by the FIFA Bureau, a reduced version of its decision-making Council.
“FIFA also reiterates that health must always be the first priority and the main criteria in any decision-making process, especially in these challenging times,” the football ruling body said.
The group proposed discussions with continental confederations to finalise a revised schedule for 2022 World Cup qualifiers, after matches this month and in June were postponed.
It also recommended the postponement of the under-20 women’s World Cup, due to be co-hosted by Panama and Costa Rica in August and September.
The group further advised on the postponement of the under-17 women’s World Cup in India, originally scheduled for November.
A decision on the Futsal World Cup in Lithuania in September should be made by the end of this month, it said.
Reuters
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