WASHINGTON, March 4, 2013 — Life for larger folk will be a little more comfortable at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Obese people will be able to buy special seats at the 12 World Cup venues in order to conform with Brazilian law for disabled people.
FIFA, soccer’s governing body, told The Associated Press on Monday that it will be the “first time tickets for obese people are offered at a FIFA event.” The seats will also be available for the Confederations Cup - a World Cup rehearsal - played in Brazil from June 15-30.
Brazilian law requires that at least 1% of seats in each venue are made available for disabled people, a category that includes the obese in Brazil. In the Arena Castelao in the city of Fortaleza, which will host World Cup games, at least 120 seats in the 63,903 venue will be set aside for obese fans.
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John Haydon wrote a weekly soccer column for The Washington Times for 20 years. He has covered two World Cups and written about Major League Soccer from the league’s inception in 1996.
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