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Sars red card for soccer
26/05/2003 20:25 - (SA)
Zurich - The 2003 women's football World Cup has been re-located from China to the United States because of the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) disease, world governing body Fifa announced on Monday.
"The Fifa Emergency Committee has taken the decision to relocate the 4th Fifa Women's World Cup, originally due to be played in China, to the United States of America,".
The tournament is expected to take place around its original period of September 23 to October 11, but the exact match schedule will be announced at a later date.
Fifa had ruled on May 3 that because of Sars, which has now claimed more than 300 lives in China, the tournament could not take place there.
The United States were among five countries who offered to step in to host the event. The others were Sweden, Australia, Italy and Canada.
Fifa President Sepp Blatter said the success of the tournament when it was last held in the United States four years ago had influenced the decision.
"The Women's World Cup in 1999 was so successful that Fifa is delighted to see the event return to the United States," said Blatter.
- AFX
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