SYDNEY: Football Federation Australia wants FIFA and the IOC to increase the age limit for the Olympic men’s tournament in the wake of the Tokyo Games being pushed back to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The IOC and Tokyo organisers agreed this week to postpone the Olympics, which were scheduled to open July 24. No dates have been set, and no revised qualifying criteria have been formalised.

Australian Olympic Committee chief executive Matt Carroll and FFA chief executive James Johnson plan to “open up discussions” with football’s world governing body and the Asian Football Confederation on increasing the age limit from 23 to 24 for the Tokyo tournament.

“This would ensure the players who helped their nation qualify for the games this year but might otherwise be ineligible for the tournament

next year because of age restrictions, have an opportunity to fulfill their dreams of representing their country and becoming Olympians,” Johnson said.

Players who were under 23 at the start of 2020 were eligible to play in qualifying. At the Olympics, three players who are older than 23 can be picked in squads, although they tend to be proven internationals at the top level.

Carroll said it was an issue that the IOC and FIFA will have to address.

FIFA said in a statement it will work with relevant stakeholders to address all key matters related to this rescheduling.

A working group is being set up with input from all six continental confederations to oversee a coordinated approach addressing the consequences of this pandemic, FIFA said last week.

“Postponing the Summer Games hopefully is a once in history event,” Carroll said. “I think with good working relationships, together we can get over all those technical details and ensure that people who have qualified remain qualified.”

Australia earned a spot through the Asian under-23 championship in January, joining continental rivals South Korea, Saudi Arabia and hosts Japan in the Olympic tournament.

Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany and Spain are also in the 16-nation lineup.

Six players who were involved in Australia’s successful qualifying campaign would be out of contention for the Olympics if the tournament age limit isn’t increased.

South Korea’s football association has also said the IOC and FIFA would need to work together to iron out the qualification issues.

“We’d like to ask you to take steps to ensure that players who secured the Olympic berth for their country will not be put at a disadvantage,” Yonhap quoted the KFA as saying in a letter to the IOC, FIFA and the AFC.

South Korea won the AFC under-23 championship in January to secure Olympic qualification, with his team relying heavily on players born in 1997.

That includes the tournament’s best player Won Du-jae and Song Bum-keun, who was named the top goalkeeper.

The KFA has also asked for squads to be expanded in line with other major tournaments hosted by the AFC and FIFA.

“Including Olympic qualifying matches, all FIFA and continental competitions are contested with 23 players per side, and only the Olympic tournament is limited to 18 players,” the KFA said. “The 18-man roster is archaic.”

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2020