The 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has agreed to make a joint bid to host the World Cup 2030 football tournament, a Thai newspaper reported Monday.
ASEAN foreign ministers agreed to the joint bid proposal at a meeting over the weekend in Lombok, Indonesia, the Bangkok Post said, citing diplomatic sources.
The bid is to seek leadership approval at the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Jakarta on May 7-8, dpa reported.
"This is an effort to use sport to create an ASEAN identity," an anonymous diplomat told the newspaper. "It will inspire the imagination of ASEAN."
China is also expected to bid for the 2030 World Cup, which will be hosted by Brazil in 2014, Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. The 2026 and 2030 tournaments are still up for grabs.
ASEAN was originally formed 43 years go between Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand to counter the spread of communism in the region.
The grouping has been expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
All 10 ASEAN capitals are expected to have international standard football stadiums by 2030, the Bangkok Post said.