Mexican sports news outlet Joslar Sport has confirmed that the Mexican Federation of American Football (FMFA) will seek to hold the 2015 IFAF World Championships in Mexico City.
This announcement comes on the coat-tails of the cancellation of the Stockholm IFAF World Championships for reasons of financial insufficiencies in organizing the event.
You can read the full announcement of that cancellation here.
When interviewed FMFA President, Jorge Orobio said this:
“(N)o formal proposal is submitted, but we have notified the IFAF (International Federation of American Football) that Mexico is willing to organize this tournament. … We already have a plan to organize tournaments like the World Championships, and now what we need is to get the funds needed to fight to have this event and compete with the U.S., and although they have simpler ways to find resources, we can fight for the win and host the event.”
Orobio stated categorically that “ultimately the 2015 IFAF Senior World Championship is not cancelled or delayed” and that it’s new location will be determined at the Extraordinary Meeting of the Board, the IFAF has scheduled for January 29th in Houston, Texas. (although IFAF has informed AFI that a special meeting for that purpose is being held on December 29).
FMFA President Jorge Orobio
“We’ll go to Houston and then formally present the project, the United Kingdom will do the same. Both countries will present the application the same day and at the same meeting the Board will determine who wins.”
AFI reached out the the British American Football Association’s (BAFA) Andy Fuller on this:
“As it stands BAFA is fully focused upon the qualification games with Russia for the women’s championship and U19 Championship. Beyond this we have no public statement on the 2015 Championships.”
Mexico to state its case as host
FMFA President Orobio on the status of preparations for Mexico’s proposal to IFAF:
“In the case of Mexico, this gives us some time to see how to get economic support, and what logistical resources we have on hand. We think we will require about 15 million pesos (approx. 1M U.S. dollars) just to solve the issue of feeding more than 800 people, from the 12 selections, which should eat three times a day. The accommodation and travel logistics are not a big problem, because the Mexican infrastructure in these areas are much higher than that of Stockholm. Obviously you have to pay for these services, but the advantage is that we do not require a long period of time to make reservations.”
Orobio also addressed the fact that this bid would in no way affect the FMFA’s intention of organizing the 2016 U19 IFAF World Championship since that tournament will be in 2016.
The FMFA plan would be to hold the IFAF World Championships at the Ciudad Universitaria in Mexico City, where there are several fields with bleachers and two stadiums, the Olímpico Universitario and the Roberto ‘Tapatío’ Méndez.
“CU would be the right place, because there is space for 12 teams train and play, even simultaneously, play all the games on the calendar. This is what puts us ahead of the U.S.. Besides money, because they have to find a space with these facilities,”concluded Orobio.
It was approximated by the FMFA that in total it should cost a little over 25 million pesos (approx. 1.7M U.S. dollars) to organize the tournament.
The 2015 IFAF World Championships were originally scheduled to be held from July 4th to the 18th, 2015 and represent the highest level of international American football tournament in the globe. This year’s tournament would be the first time 12 national teams would be meeting to compete.
Source: Joslar Source