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Global sport needs to be more accountable
Saturday, June 04, 2011
IT is with relief that Jamaicans heard the categorical statement that "the JFF was not offered, neither received any funds prior to, during or after the... CFU meeting held May 10-11 in Trinidad".
This newspaper's regret is that the Jamaica Football Federation's (JFF's) assurance took so long. It only came as part of a heated response to the controversial suggestion from Mr Edward Seaga that there had in fact been wrongdoing or "ginnalship" on the part of Caribbean Football Union (CFU) members.
Mr Seaga, who heads the JFF affiliate, the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) went so far as to suggest that the leadership of the CFU should "call on all the federations which received and kept the US$40,000 bribe to return it forthwith or face public disclosure".
That "US$40,000" refers to money that some federations within the 25-member CFU are alleged to have received as a "bribe" from former FIFA presidential candidate Mr Mohammed Bin Hammam.
The allegations of bribery led to the withdrawal of Mr Hammam from Wednesday's FIFA presidential election leaving Mr Sepp Blatter to be returned unopposed for another four-year term. Crucially, the allegations have led to the suspension from all football activities of Mr Hammam as well as CFU and CONCACAF head Mr Jack Warner, pending the completion of an investigation.
Of course, Mr Warner, a FIFA vice-president is also a government minister in Trinidad and Tobago. Inevitably, the football scandal has created a crisis for the administration of Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
Two other CFU officials have also been suspended as a direct result of the allegations.
It's worthwhile to note that talk of corruption in FIFA are not new. Such allegations have taken on renewed life in the aftermath of the choice of oil-rich Qatar — of which Mr Hammam is a national — as the venue for the 2022 World Cup.
It seems to this newspaper that the current situation cries out for global sporting organisations such as FIFA and their affiliates to be more accountable.
FIFA, for one, has for too long operated as a closed shop and a law unto itself.
In the days when sport was mostly about amateurism and recreation it was bad enough.
However, today sport is big business — a huge service industry. The power of television and the attractiveness of football as a visual spectacle, means FIFA for example, controls billions of dollars.
News reports suggest that over the last four years alone, the Blatter administration has pumped in the region of US$800 million to developing football countries.
While Jamaica and others countries understandably welcome such assistance, it is often denigrated by the rich and powerful as vulgar patronage.
Without the enforcement of strict rules and regulations and everything being on the table in line with globally accepted business practice, there will be allegations of corruption.
The current crisis should serve as a signal to FIFA, as well as other sports associations, that it can't be business as usual.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/edito...#ixzz1Oc2rQYIJ
Saturday, June 04, 2011
IT is with relief that Jamaicans heard the categorical statement that "the JFF was not offered, neither received any funds prior to, during or after the... CFU meeting held May 10-11 in Trinidad".
This newspaper's regret is that the Jamaica Football Federation's (JFF's) assurance took so long. It only came as part of a heated response to the controversial suggestion from Mr Edward Seaga that there had in fact been wrongdoing or "ginnalship" on the part of Caribbean Football Union (CFU) members.
Mr Seaga, who heads the JFF affiliate, the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) went so far as to suggest that the leadership of the CFU should "call on all the federations which received and kept the US$40,000 bribe to return it forthwith or face public disclosure".
That "US$40,000" refers to money that some federations within the 25-member CFU are alleged to have received as a "bribe" from former FIFA presidential candidate Mr Mohammed Bin Hammam.
The allegations of bribery led to the withdrawal of Mr Hammam from Wednesday's FIFA presidential election leaving Mr Sepp Blatter to be returned unopposed for another four-year term. Crucially, the allegations have led to the suspension from all football activities of Mr Hammam as well as CFU and CONCACAF head Mr Jack Warner, pending the completion of an investigation.
Of course, Mr Warner, a FIFA vice-president is also a government minister in Trinidad and Tobago. Inevitably, the football scandal has created a crisis for the administration of Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
Two other CFU officials have also been suspended as a direct result of the allegations.
It's worthwhile to note that talk of corruption in FIFA are not new. Such allegations have taken on renewed life in the aftermath of the choice of oil-rich Qatar — of which Mr Hammam is a national — as the venue for the 2022 World Cup.
It seems to this newspaper that the current situation cries out for global sporting organisations such as FIFA and their affiliates to be more accountable.
FIFA, for one, has for too long operated as a closed shop and a law unto itself.
In the days when sport was mostly about amateurism and recreation it was bad enough.
However, today sport is big business — a huge service industry. The power of television and the attractiveness of football as a visual spectacle, means FIFA for example, controls billions of dollars.
News reports suggest that over the last four years alone, the Blatter administration has pumped in the region of US$800 million to developing football countries.
While Jamaica and others countries understandably welcome such assistance, it is often denigrated by the rich and powerful as vulgar patronage.
Without the enforcement of strict rules and regulations and everything being on the table in line with globally accepted business practice, there will be allegations of corruption.
The current crisis should serve as a signal to FIFA, as well as other sports associations, that it can't be business as usual.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/edito...#ixzz1Oc2rQYIJ