Asian Cup Still On Track, But Golf and Cycling Events Canceled After Riyadh Attack

A deadly attack on the city of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia has forced several big sports events to be canceled or delayed. The attack happened on a Saturday and killed at least 12 people, wounding more than 300 others. A group from Yemen called the Houthi movement said it carried out the strike on Riyadh's international airport. Sports officials around the world quickly began making decisions about whether their events were safe to hold.

Golf's Asian Tour announced that the Saudi International golf tournament has been postponed with no new date set. The tournament was supposed to take place from November 18 to 21 at the Riyadh Golf Club and had a prize of $5 million. Officials said they made the decision after looking closely at the problems involved in safely hosting such a big event. They want to make sure the tournament meets the high standards expected of it before rescheduling.

Cycling's Urban World Championships, which had been planned for November 3 to 7 in Riyadh, was also canceled. The event would have featured top riders competing in trials and BMX Freestyle. Australia pulled its team out first, saying it was worried about the safety of its athletes traveling to Saudi Arabia. After Australia withdrew, the sport's global body, the UCI, decided to cancel the whole championship.

Other sports events have been shaken up as well. A tennis tournament called the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh was moved from October to December. FIFA also delayed an esports competition called the FIFAe Finals 2026, which had been set for the nearby city of Jeddah. No new date has been given for that event yet.

The biggest question has been about soccer's Asian Cup, which is set to run from January 7 to February 5 next year in Saudi Arabia. The tournament will feature 24 national teams from across Asia. The head of Asian soccer said earlier this week that moving the event to 2028 was possible if needed. However, the local organizing committee said on Friday that everything is still moving forward on schedule.

Saudi Arabia has spent a lot of money on sports in recent years through a government fund called the Public Investment Fund, or PIF. The Asian Cup was seen as a practice run for hosting the soccer World Cup in 2034. A recent report suggested that PIF may be planning to scale back some of its stadium building plans for the 2034 World Cup, though Saudi officials have not confirmed this.