SPORTS officials from five Asean countries, including Malaysia, will gather in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the requirements by the International Football Federation (Fifa) to host the 2034 World Cup.

National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Ahmad Shapawi Ismail, who attended the Asean Sports Ministers Meeting in Manila, Philippines on Wednesday, said: “It is because there are terms of the Fifa bidding requirements that require some scrutiny. So, at the meeting, we agreed to set up a technical working group to study in more detail with regard to bidding documents.”

“We will also invite Asean national football associations to join this group to discuss how we can continue our effort to offer to become a host,” he said after launching of National Sports Day, at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.

Shapawi said the meeting, the date of which has still not been finalised, was not to discuss a bid but to study the strengths and potential of Asean countries that could be offered to convince Fifa.

On June 23, Asean chairman Thai prime minister Prayuth Chan o-cha announced that all 10 Asean member countries had agreed to develop a joint bid to host the 2034 World Cup.

The idea of a joint bid to host the biggest football tournament in the world was proposed to regional leaders at the 34th Asean Summit in Bangkok.

The five Asean countries are Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia. – Bernama, October 12, 2019.