TEHRAN, May 19 (MNA) – The Iranian Football Federation has sent an official request to the AFC to postpone the Asian Futsal Championship.

A part of Iran's letter states:

"According to FIFA's decision to postpone the 2020 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Lithuania until 2021, it is proposed that the Asian Futsal Championships be postponed from August 2020 to February 2021 so that the teams can prepare for the tournament due to the outbreak of the coronavirus."

Iran is in the same group with Thailand, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia in the AFC Futsal Championship, which is to be hosted by Turkmenistan.

The AFC Futsal Championship is Asia’s flagship international futsal competition, also serving as the final stage of FIFA Futsal World Cup qualifying, with the top five sides in Turkmenistan to represent the Continent at Lithuania.

With 12 titles in the 15 previous editions of the competition, Iran is the most successful side in AFC Futsal Championship history, with three-time champions Japan the only other nation to have lifted the trophy.

HJ/MNA4929480