The Australian government is being urged to put more money into football diplomacy as Australia prepares for the 2015 Asian Cup.
The football tournament, which will be hosted by Australia for the first time, is expected to attract 45,000 visitors and have a potential television reach of 2.5 billion viewers.
In a paper issued on Friday, the Lowy Institute for International Policy said the tournament will present a big opportunity for Australian businesses to network with Asian investors and consumers.
But to do so, key stakeholders should form a Football Asia Council to pool scarce resources and to provide support for networking opportunities.
AAP reports that the institute recommends that the federal government allocate additional resources to Austrade for it to manage business networking events.
"The Asian Cup will present a significant opportunity for Australia to promote its image and national branding, as well as its goods and services, and strengthen networks in the region," the report said.
Football diplomacy was referred to by a parliamentary inquiry in 2007 on Australia's public diplomacy and in a government white paper on Australia in the Asian Century.
It involves the use of common interest in football to create networks. The networks can be used for diplomacy, forming political and business connections, promoting products and tourism.
