Japan/Korea: Too soon after 2002 03/12/2010 |
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Japan bid chairman Howard Stringer has suggested the 2022 bid came too soon after the country co-hosted the 2002 tournament with Korea.
Japan lost out to Qatar in the 2022 vote and Sony chief executive Stringer said: "We had it in 2002 – that was too big a mountain to climb. I was hoping we could get Japan another mission – the chance to do something spectacular in technology for society."
Japan Football Association vice-president Kuniya Daini added: "We had heard people say our bid was too soon [after 2002] so it's possible that was the reason.
"We knew it would be tough but it's still a big disappointment. We have set a target of hosting the World Cup alone by 2050 so we will be bidding again."
South Korea, which was bidding separately this time around, agreed that co-hosting the 2002 competition had probably not helped its cause.
Chung Mong-Joon, one of eight Fifa vice-presidents, said: "It's a shame that we couldn't deliver the good news to the people back home.
"Qatar had its leader [Emir Sheikh Mohammad bin Hamad Al-Thani] flying around the world persuading executive members. President Lee Myung-Bak gave a lot of support but it would have been better if he had met more executive members."
Han Sung-Joo, head of the South Korean bidding committee, was surprised by the result.
"We'd expected to meet either the US or Australia in the final round," added the former foreign minister. "But Australia was eliminated in the first round. It seems as though the idea of giving the Middle East its first World Cup garnered a lot of votes [for Qatar]."
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