MichiganRadio

Tampa Kicks Off World Cup Bid TAMPA (WUSF) - Tampa is positioning itself to be one of the host cities for the World Cup in either 2018 or 2022 - if the U.S is chosen as the host country.

The USA bid committee first contacted Tampa in April about hosting some of the games. The list of 48 cities that had originally expressed interest has been whittled down to 27. The executive director of the bid committee visited Raymond James Stadium two weeks ago, and Farrukh Quarishi believes the local presentation was well received. The former star with the Tampa Bay Rowdies is a member of the local bid committee.

"Tampa Bay would be beamed throughout the living rooms of every single household in the world that has a TV set for a period of one month in the summer of 2018 or 2022," he says.

Representatives from 27 cities will meet in New York in one month, with 18 eventually getting the nod. Local organizers want to gather 50,000 signatures in support of the bid on their web site, www.goUSAbid.com/TampaBay




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