Pakistan in danger of Fifa ban over interference
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SPORT I 23
I July 2015
Pakistan’s football federation was mired in turmoil after its president was suspended by a faction reportedly linked to the country’s governing political party. A special Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) congress suspended Faisal Saleh Hayat, the body’s president of 12 years, accusing him of corruption and mismanagement. The move was led by rebel PFF officials, who said a new election for president would be held. The rebels are reported by local media to have links to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N (PMLN) party, raising the prospect of a possible ban under Fifa rules against political interference in football.
The upheaval follows huge controversy during elections for the Punjab Football Association in April, which led to the PFF banning 20 officials for forming a parallel provincial body to rival the official one. Hayat, a member of Fifa’s Strategic Committee and a veteran politician in Pakistan, blasted the action of the parallel body, calling them a “mafia.” “We reject the illegal interference in PFF’s business,” Hayat told AFP. “This mafia is damaging Pakistani football, which is on a strong footing, and through their actions ultimately we could face a Fifa ban — but I will ensure such a situation does not happen.”
FA publishes Ramadan and football factsheet The Football Association (FA) has published a factsheet for the holy month of Ramadan, which began on Thursday 18 June. The factsheet explains how the holy month affects Muslims who will be observing Ramadan with reference to football activities prior to and during pre-season. The factsheet offers guidance on how Ramadan is observed including information on fasting, praying, and guidance around training and fixtures.
One footballer who will be observing the holy month of Ramadan is Manchester City and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure. Yaya recently won the Laurie Cunningham award from Kick It Out, which recognises the contribution from someone within the professional game to tackling discrimination and promoting equality. You can download the factsheet at www.kickitout.org/wp-content/ uploads/2015/06/FA-Ramadan-andfootball-factsheet-2015.pdf
Pakistan was briefly banned by Fifa in 1994 over government interference. Hayat said the PMLN government had to accept defeat in their campaign to form their own Pakistan Olympic Association after intervention by the International Olympic Committee. “The government is still licking its wounds after having being forced to take a complete U-turn in its ill-conceived and unconstitutional attempt to install an illegal parallel POA. The same illegal attempt is now being made on the internationally-recognised PFF,” said Hayat. Pakistan narrowly avoided an Olympic ban last year after a parallel Olympic Association was formed by a government-backed group, rejected by the IOC. Pakistan were among the top Asian teams until the 1960s, before lack of facilities and government support saw them slide. They are now 170 in world rankings and 34th in Asia. The administration of virtually every sport in Pakistan has long been dogged by political interference, with plum jobs often handed out by politicians as rewards to loyal supporters.
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