24-Apr-2025 04:48 PM
2598
Dhaka, Apr 24 (Reporter) The 15th edition of the SAFF Championship has been postponed to 2026, with the venue and the tournament format yet to be finalised, the federation announced on Thursday.
Originally slated to be held this year, the biennial tournament has been deferred to next year as both the federation and the event sponsor, SportFive, felt that additional preparation time was necessary to ensure a smoother execution.
"The SAFF had decided to stage the prestigious SAFF Championship in a home or away format this year. Preparations had been made accordingly. However, SAFF, our Member Associations, and SportFive felt that more arrangement needed to be in place to deliver the competition in a smooth manner," the SAFF press statement said.
"Therefore, we have come to a decision to postpone the SAFF Championship to 2026 so that all our stakeholders and member associations have adequate time to organize the championship in a grand manner," it said.
"With 2026 being a FIFA World Cup year, enough attention has to be given to find an appropriate timeline and venue for the SAFF Championship. We urge all our stakeholders, fans, media and the member associations to bear with us so that the prestigious event will be organized flawlessly," the statement added...////...