iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
Zareen became the first Indian to win multiple gold medals at the World Championships after legendary boxer Mary Kom
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Saudi Arabia to host 2027 Asian Cup
Saudi Arabia was the sole bidder after India withdrew in December
Saudi Arabia's minister of sports, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Saud arrives for the 33rd AFC Congress. — Reuters
Saudi Arabia has won a bid to host the 2027 Asian Cup, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Wednesday.
The announcement was made at the AFC Congress in the Bahraini capital of Manama.
Saudi Arabia was the sole bidder after India withdrew in December.
"We are excited to deliver the greatest tournament in the competition's history," the kingdom's sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said after the announcement.
"The kingdom is transforming before our eyes and we are filled with excitement for what it will look like in 2027."
In the coming years the Saudis, who watched as neighbours Qatar hosted the World Cup in November and December, will hold the women's Asian Cup, the Olympic-sized Asian Games and even the Asian Winter Games on artificial snow.
The desert kingdom is also eyeing a World Cup and Summer Olympics, perhaps even a Winter Olympics, together with a swathe of other major events.
It is all part of grand plans by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to modernise the Saudi economy and end its reliance on oil before the world moves on to other fuels.
"I'm sure Saudi Arabia will host a fantastic Asian Cup," Fifa President Gianni Infantino said at the Manama congress.
The 2023 Asian Cup will be hosted by Qatar. It was previously set to be held in China but the country withdrew because of Covid.
The Asian Cup is staged every four years. Qatar won the tournament's last edition, in 2019, which was hosted by the UAE.
Saudi Arabia have won three AFC Asian Cup titles.
More news from Sports
The winner not only surprised a quality field, but also Sheikha Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum, who has taken over the operations of Shadwell
She wins gold in the 48 kg category at the 2023 IBA Women’s Boxing World Championships
The first game of the three-match T20 series will take place on Friday
The aftermath of the defeat to Argentina on penalties has been turbulent with several big names retiring from the game
The world No.1 added that the injury would also keep her out of Poland's Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan in mid-April
The 34-year-old helped Germany to glory in Brazil in 2014 but bitterly quit the international scene after the Germans crashed out of the 2018 tournament in Russia
Usyk, the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO champion, will now seek to defend his belts against Britain's Daniel Dubois, the mandatory WBA challenger