CANBERRA, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Football Federation Australia (FFA) on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to send teams to the Tokyo Olympics next year and also suggested that the entry age of the men's tournament should be lifted from U23 to U24.
"Our football community are rightly proud of the efforts and achievements of the Matildas (women's national team) and the Under 23 men's national football team to qualify for Tokyo," James Johnson, FFA Chief Executive Officer, said in a media release.
"When the dates of the potentially rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are known, FFA will work with its national teams unit and the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) to plan the best possible preparations for both sides."
FFA also encourages the men's football tournament organisers to consider ensuring that all the footballers that helped their teams qualify, have equal opportunity to earn selection for Tokyo for the competition next year.
"Men's football at the Olympics is an U23 tournament but we would like to open up discussion with FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to consider adjusting the men's football tournament so that it becomes an U24 tournament for the Tokyo Olympic Games," said Johnson.
"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 fulfil their dreams of representing their country and becoming Olympians," he concluded.
