Amid international indignation at Russia over the crisis in Ukraine, the English Football Association said that it would be premature to strip Russia of the right to host the 2018 World Cup.
"I don't think that you can make a decision based on one week's events [the MH17 crash in eastern Ukraine] without looking at the longer term," said Greg Dyke, the chairman of the English Football Association, during a hearing at the British parliament on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
Calls for boycott have plagued Russia's experience as a host of international sporting events. Human rights activists and Western politicians urged their governments to boycott the Sochi Winter Olympics Games in February to protest against Russia's anti-gay propaganda legislation and the human rights violations committed during the preparations for Sochi. Despite international outrage, the Games were not boycotted.
Russia is set to host the next World Cup from June 8 to July 8, 2018.
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