FIFA announce that the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will offer seats specifically for obese fans
World soccer’s governing body FIFA told The Associated Press that the seats will be offered to conform to Brazilian legislation, although international supporters will also be entitled to them.
The tickets will also be available for the Confederations Cup, the World Cup warm-up tournament that will be played in Brazil from June 15-30.
The World Cup Bill in Brazil requires that at least one per cent of seats in each stadium be made available for disabled people, a category that includes obese people, wheelchair users and those with impaired mobility.
To qualify for a ticket, people are required to submit a medical certificate that proves they have a body mass index of 30 or more, as recognised by the Brazilian Ministry of Health and World Health Organisation.
“FIFA is generally following local legislation of the host countries and is, in Brazil, guided by the General FIFA World Cup Bill and a separate decree related to obese people,” the world body said. “The number of tickets available for disabled people depends on the infrastructure provisions of each stadium and the distribution between seats.”
FIFA said tickets for disabled people are usually the price of Category 3 tickets, which international fans can purchase.
Final numbers on the seats available for obese fans at the Confederation Cup have not been confirmed because construction is still under way in some stadiums, with only two of the six having been delivered so far. FIFA gave the host cities until April 15 to have all the venues ready. World Cup stadiums must be completed by the end of the year.
Specific details on the size of the seats were also not immediately available.
The Arena Castelao in the northeast city of Fortaleza has 1675 seats from its total of 63,903 made available for people with disabilities, 120 of those for obese fans, according to the Brazilian government.
“The seats are spread throughout the lower ring and cater for views from all angles of the pitch,” the government said. “The places are well placed in relation to the speakers and there are adequate signposts.”
According to Brazilian legislation, the 2016 Rio Olympic Games will also have to offer seats for obese fans.