AOC HAILS WINNING BID FOR THE WOMEN'S FOOTBALL WORLD CUP

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has congratulated Football Federation Australia (FFA) on its winning bid with Football New Zealand to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.

AOC President John Coates says the decision by FIFA overnight has demonstrated Australia’s capacity to mount a compelling case for major global sporting showcases.

"This decision will deliver what could be a golden decade for Australian sport. It will be a magnificent boost for women’s football in Australia and I have no doubt that as hosts, Australia and our New Zealand cousins will deliver an outstanding tournament."

"It’s wonderful news for our Matildas who enjoy such enormous support from the Australian community and who inspire young women to get active and get involved in sport.

"Looking further ahead, I can see a ten year runway taking us from 2023 with the Women’s Football World Cup, a year earlier the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2022, potentially the Rugby World Cup for men in 2027 and ultimately the jewel in the crown with the Olympic Games in Brisbane in 2032. The benefits will continue beyond.

"There’s no question the world looks at Australia as a sports loving country, capable of delivering the biggest events to the highest standard. We are viewed as a very safe pair of hands and of course, we are a wonderful destination for sports fans from around the world.

"The potential for this golden decade is extraordinary. We have the ability to supercharge sport, unite Australians and deliver a boost to the Australian economy with jobs and tourism. This decade can deliver a lasting legacy for sport, the economy and the community.

"Given the challenges we have all faced, and that Australia has managed so well, the prospect of the world looking to Australia to provide the way forward through sport is genuinely exciting.

"Australia has demonstrated time and again our capacity to host these global events. The ‘best ever’ Sydney 2000 Olympics, a record-breaking Rugby World Cup in 2003 and more recently the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018.

"From an Olympic perspective, we are in a conversation with the IOC’s Future Host Commission with the support of all three levels of government.

Discussions are paused as the world deals with the pandemic but at an appropriate point, we will reconvene and put forward are credentials to deliver an Olympic Games in Queensland that meets the IOC’s goal of an affordable Games that will be cost neutral from an operational perspective.

"For now though, let’s celebrate a magnificent effort by the FFA and Football New Zealand to bring this wonderful tournament here and for Australian sport to enjoy the benefits that flow from it."

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