Australian Prime Minister John Howard said on Friday that he supports a
proposal for Australia to host the soccer World Cup in 2014.
He told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio that the proposal, which
was originally put forward by South Australian Premier Mike Rann, has merit as
Australia has proven it could handle any major sporting event.
"We are very good at it, we proved that in Melbourne in 1956, we proved it in
Sydney in 2000, Melbourne again with the Commonwealth Games, and the very
successful Rugby World Cup," he said.
"As a matter of principle I'm certainly in favor of us looking at it, as a
nation, it should be done on a national basis," he said.
