Sawt Falasteen - Olympic chief confident for LA Games despite World Cup 'challenges'

Football's showpiece tournament, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, kicks off on Thursday.

But the build-up to the June 11-July 19 competition has been marred by fans, a top referee and team officials being barred from the tournament.

A record 48 teams and millions of supporters are descending on the three host countries for the largest and most logistically complex World Cup ever staged.

But the refusal of US immigration authorities to allow Somali referee Omar Artan, one of Africa's leading match officials, into the country underlined fears that US President Donald Trump's immigration policy could leave deep scars on the tournament.

"We're obviously very aware and following the World Cup as it gets closer and closer to kick-off time," said Coventy, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

"I am confident that in two years we will be able to overcome a number of the challenges that the World Cup are facing right now."

That, Coventry told a press conference, took "collaboration and learning".

"The task force and everyone on the ground now are learning and we can only continue to work very closely with the OCOG (local organising committee), the USOPC (the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee), at this moment to continuously give our feedback we are receiving from stakeholders.

"Then it's our job to monitor that, to advocate for that and for athletes and their entourage to be able to ensure that they are there in the LA28 Games."

Coventry added: "We're going to consistently work with them, we're going to consistently collaborate with them.

"As soon as we get any feedback from the Olympic movement and our stakeholders, we relay that directly to them.

"This is just a part of the process, so we have to just continue having faith in that process.

"And I do believe that we will see a successful LA 2028."

The Los Angeles Olympics are slated for July 14-30, 2028, when President Trump will still be in power.

O.Mousa--SF-PST