Soccer's international governing body FIFA has ordered the Japanese organizing committee (JAWOC) to stick to the official English order of "Korea-Japan" on documents pertaining to the 2002 World Cup finals, informed sources confirmed Saturday.
FIFA has reportedly sent JAWOC a letter of warning after South Korean organizers (KAWOC) complained Thursday about Japanese ticket application forms, due to go on sale on Feb. 15, describing the tournament as the "Japan-Korea" World Cup.
KAWOC is upset that JAWOC has apparently reneged on an agreement made between the two countries in 1996 to give the tournament "2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan" as its official title.
However, JAWOC will continue to argue that there had been a mutual understanding that the official tournament name did not apply to domestic promotional campaigns and only concerned the English title, according to sources.
JAWOC said last week that it will stick with "Japan-Korea" during the build up to the World Cup, but will now be forced to adopt a softly-softly approach as it works out a response to the warning to FIFA.
Verdy gets Miura
KAWASAKI (Kyodo) Verdy Kawasaki, to be known as Tokyo Verdy from next month, has signaled its intent for the 2001 season by signing 26-year-old Japan winger Atsuhiro Miura, officials of the J. League first division club confirmed Saturday.
Miura, a member of Japan's Olympic and Asian Cup squads last year, will sign a formal contract with Verdy on Monday.
He spent the past two seasons at Yokohama F. Marinos, J-1 first-stage winners in 2000.