Canada plays Sweden in women’s football finals. (AP photo)
The Olympic women’s football final between Sweden and Canada has been moved from Tokyo to Yokohama and delayed from 11am to 9pm due to heat concerns.
- AFP Tokyo
- Last Update:August 06, 2021, 12:19 AM IST
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Friday’s Olympic women’s football final between Sweden and Canada has been moved from Tokyo to Yokohama and delayed from 11am to 9pm due to heat concerns. Officials announced on Thursday that the match was being moved from Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium, the venue for the opening ceremony and athletics events, after talks between local organisers, FIFA and the International Olympic Committee. “In order to continue to provide the best possible conditions for players, it has been confirmed that the match will now take place at 21:00 at the International Stadium Yokohama,” the organizers said in a statement.
The decision to move the final came after both the teams were concerned about the health and safety of their players.
Temperatures are expected to reach 33 °C (91.4 °F) in the Japanese capital around noon on Friday.
Sweden’s goalkeeper Zesira Musovic tweeted on the eve of the game: “Even considering playing the final at 11:00 local time in Japan is a direct threat to players’ health due to inclement weather conditions.”
“Once again money talks too much in a discussion that shouldn’t be discussed.”
It is believed that US broadcaster NBC originally wanted the game to take place at a time that suited US TV audiences as the USA women’s team, the World Cup holders, was expected to be in the finals.
But Megan Rapinoe’s team lost to Canada in the semi-finals and won a bronze medal in the playoffs against Australia on Thursday.
As a result of the change, the men’s bronze medal match between hosts Japan and Mexico in Saitama on Friday will be moved from two hours to 6 p.m.
Defending champions Brazil will take on Spain in the men’s final in Yokohama on Saturday, when kick-off is scheduled for 8.30 pm.
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