The International Federation of American Football has announced that Stockholm has given up the right to host the world championship in 2015.

"It is with great sadness we have to accept the fact the Local Organizing Committee, despite hard work the last three years, have not succeeded in raising the sponsor structure to run an event this size," the IFAF's acting president, Roope Noronen, was quoted on its website.

The 2015 world championship was scheduled to be held in July in Stockholm, and 16 nations including Japan have already qualified. Japan beat the Philippines 86-0 in Tokyo to earn one of the two Asian berths last April.

The IFAF now has two options — look for another host city or postpone the tournament, which started in 1999 and takes place once every four years. The international organizing body of American football said it will make the decision in two weeks' time.

"We've heard some cities are being considered as candidates," said Japan American Football Association press officer Yuji Shimizu, who declined to name the cities in a telephone interview with The Japan Times. Shimizu also said Japan, which hosted the 2007 competition in Kawasaki, is not one of them.

"The IFAF became an associate member of the International Olympic Committee recently. Skipping the world championship would give a negative impression to the IOC," Shimizu continued. "The IFAF will make every effort to move the event to another city and hold the world championship as scheduled."

"This is not something we can control," Japan head coach Kiyoyuki Mori told The Japan Times. "Regardless of whether the world cup is held next July or not, we will prepare to play football as the national team. Even if it is canceled, that preparation helps us improve. That is what we can control."