Qatar will host the 2023 Asian Cup football tournament in place of original hosts China after seeing off rival bids from South Korea and Indonesia.

This announcement came after China withdrew earlier this year because of its “zero-COVID” policy.

The continental championships were awarded to China in 2019 but the world’s most populous country relinquished the rights earlier this year as it pursued a zero-COVID-19 policy.

The Asian Cup is held every four years. Qatar won the tournament’s last edition, which was hosted by the United Arab Emirates in 2019.

This is the third time Qatar will be hosting the tournament, having staged it in 1988 and 2011.