FIFA Suspend Iraq
Today FIFA suspended Iraq from FIFA competitions for 12 months. The Iraq Football Association have until midnight Thursday, our time to respond. Read here for more detail.
Of course the Iraq Government denies that the IFA has been dismantled and that it is only the Iraq Olympic Committee that has been dismantled.
Whatever the reasons, it just shows how Politicians should tread very carefully when dipping their toes into Sport. The Australian Government successfully dismantled Soccer Australia and replaced it with the FFA, however this had widespread community support and undoubtedly the support of FIFA.
With so many other problems in Iraq, why turn the focus on to Sport, and a negative focus at that. Surely the Iraqi Government should be concentrating on stopping the number of people being killed every day as opposed to dismantling sporting bodies ( I assume for being corrupt). With the country in such turmoil, even a glimmer of hope on the sporting field can change the focus of a nation away from the day to day violence.
I was in Jakarta last year and watched Iraq beat Saudi Arabia in the Asian Cup Final. The euphoria from those fans was sensational. The images on TV for the next week was great. How many happy, smiling Iraqis do you see on TV each day? Not Many is the answer.
I am not happy that if Iraq have to forfeit that Australia will receive points as if it were a bye. I want to beat them fair and square on the pitch. We need to extract some revenge for the loss in Bangkok last year.
Cheers
Terry
May 26 2008 10:14 pm | General
