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Flying colors Confederations Cup points way to success in 2002
TOKYO (Reuters) -- South Korea and Japan, the joint hosts of next year's World Cup, have passed the Confederations Cup test with flying colors and are right on course to host an outstanding finals in 2002. While some problems -- not all of their own making -- still exist, the two countries have given every indication during this 12-day, eight-nation, warmup competition, that come the main event in just under 12 months time, they will be ready. "There were forecasts in some western hemisphere newspapers that there was no interest in this competition in Korea and Japan. That is not true," FIFA president Sepp Blatter said. "There were 290,000 spectators in Korea and, including the final, 283,000 in Japan at an overall average of 35,000 a match. "This confirms the value of the competition; it has been an outstandingly successful test run a year before the World Cup." Shun-Ichiro Okano, the president of the Japanese Football Association and the chairman of the Japanese World Cup Organizing Committee (JAWOC) had no doubts. "The Confederations Cup has been a very valuable experience for us all. Of course we have had some problems to solve, in terms of transportation and accommodation, but we have done so," he said. "Korea and Japan have co-operated very closely together in the running of the competition, and I believe that our continued joint cooperation will not only lead to a very successful World Cup, but also lead to a greater mutual understanding which can only help to contribute to peace in Asia." While that may well happen, both Korea and Japan have some rather more mundane problems to overcome before harmony reigns for all. JAWOC is short of cash, the financial collapse of FIFA's marketing partners ISL-ISMM having stalled much in the day-to-day preparatory work needed before the finals, and fears remain about who is going to show what on television -- and how much that might cost the viewer. The Korean World Cup Organizing Committee (KOWOC) is in a healthier position financially, but together with JAWOC, is worried getting the information technology problem solved.
Fine-tuningDespite those niggles, Jim Trecker, an executive manager of the World Cup in the United States in 1994 and a special adviser to JAWOC for the last six years, is optimistic about next year. "Many of the problems that exist behind the scenes are what you would expect a year before a competition as big as the World Cup and I am sure they will all be solved well in advance," he said. "The plus side is that the management teams in both Japan and Korea have reached a very, very mature level in terms of both their operating systems and methods. Over the next year these will be fine-tuned and I think the Confederations Cup has focused people's minds wonderfully. "I have not seen anything in this tournament that has shown up any serious flaws in planning. If you compare this tournament to where the United States was when we hosted the U.S. Cup in 1993, the warmup for USA 94, I would say Japan and Korea are well in advance.
FIFA encouragedFIFA vice-president Dr Chung Mong-joon, also the joint-chairman of KOWOC, said this week he was encouraged by the success of the Confederations Cup, but was also keen to point out the problems that needed to be solved. "We estimate to have about 400,000 visitors each to Korea and Japan respectively during the World Cup and many of these visitors will move around among the venue cities in both countries. "Currently there are 41 flights a week between Japan and Korea and this is not enough. Although this number is expected to double by next year, it will still not be enough to handle the World Cup traffic." Chung has called for regional airports in both countries to start flights between themselves and has called on the authorities in both countries to approve such a plan urgently. FIFA's Director of Communications Keith Cooper added that FIFA were delighted that the Confederations Cup had largely run smoothly, but stressed the need to put the last 12 days into perspective. "This has been a very successful test of the systems that will be used next year and for that we have every reason to be optimistic. We now know that the stadiums not only look magnificent and have immaculate playing surfaces, but that the infrastructure around them also points to a very successful World Cup," he said. "Of course problems remain especially in terms of language and communication. "But it is very arrogant of us as Europeans to assume that everyone should be able to speak English or other European languages. We are coming to Asia and perhaps we should try and learn some Korean or Japanese."
Angry JapaneseHundreds of people speaking Japanese were uttering some very angry words on the second day of the tournament when Japan played Canada at Niigata on May 31. The shuttle bus system, trying to cope with some 20,000 fans being ferried to the ground from the main station four kilometers away, ground to a halt under the strain of the crowd and traffic jams caused by the evening rush hour and pouring rain. Hundreds of fans had an utterly miserable night, stranded waiting for buses and missing most of the first half. After the match thousands waited for up to two hours for the buses to take them back to the station. To Niigata's credit the problem was solved when Japan played Cameroon there two days later. "It was unfortunate that happened at all," said Cooper. "The fans have our deepest apologies, But in a way, surely it is far better to get the problem solved now that in the World Cup itself. In a sense that is what the Confederations Cup is all about."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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