FIFA's Mustapha Fahmy Says Artificial Turf Not An Issue For 2015 Women's World Cup

FIFA officials are confident the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada "will go off without a hitch, despite the tournament being played on artificial turf for the first time," according to XINHUA. Speaking in Vancouver Saturday at the conclusion of a week-long tour of Canada where a delegation of FIFA officials inspected four of the six stadiums being used for the seventh women's World Cup -- two of the venues are still under construction -- Dir of Competitions Mustapha Fahmy called the conditions "satisfactory." Fahmy said, "(Men's) World Cup qualifiers are played on artificial turf, so I think it's not a real problem." He noted that "a condition for Canada hosting the tournament was for the venues to have FIFA 2 Star-approved turf." Montreal, Moncton, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver "will act as host cities for the 52-game tournament starting June 6, 2015." Vancouver's British Columbia Place "will host the final July 5" (XINHUA, 8/17).