TORONTO, July 1, 2007 - On behalf of the Government of Canada, the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today welcomed participants from the 24 nations participating in the FIFA Men's Under-20 World Cup, while attending the match between Canada and Chile at the BMO Field in Toronto. "On this special July 1st, the 140th birthday of Canada, I would like to welcome all teams competing in this FIFA Under-20 World Cup and wish them good luck," said Minister Flaherty. "Canada's New Government is proud to support the largest single-sport event ever to be held in Canada."The FIFA Men's Under-20 World Cup - Canada 2007 is a three-week, 52-match tournament featuring the best male players under 20 years of age. The event will take place from June 30 to July 22, 2007 in Victoria, Burnaby, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, who will also host the Final match. Canada's New Government announced a contribution of $4.2 million in March 2007 to the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) to help stage the FIFA U-20 World Cup. This funding will be used to help pay for operating expenses associated with the tournament. This contribution is in addition to more than $1.4 million that Sport Canada provided to the CSA through its Sport Support Program in 2007-2008. As well, the Government of Canada, through the Strategic Infrastructure Fund, contributed $27 million towards the construction of the BMO Field in Toronto.Canada's New Government recognizes the importance of sport and physical activity for the health of Canadians and is committed to developing sport in Canada. The federal government provides more than $140 million in annual funding to support participation and excellence in sport.Information: Jeffrey KroekerDirector of Communications and Parliamentary AffairsOffice of the Secretary of State (Foreign Affairs and International Trade) (Sport)613 995-1293Chisholm PothierPress SecretaryOffice of the Minister of Finance613 996-7861Donald BoulangerA/Chief, Media RelationsCanadian Heritage819 994-9101
