Sports not only produce dramatic stories on the field. International sport administration this week is buzzing with speculation on weather the Iraqi World Cup qualifier with Australia scheduled for this Sunday 1st June in Brisbane, Australia will go ahead or not.
The Iraqi cabinet, earlier this week, suspended the Iraq Olympic Committee and by default, all affiliated national sport associations with it. The Iraqi FA have thus, theoretically being dissolved by government decree. International Sport Federations see such government interference in sport as undesirable "external interference".
The world football body, FIFA have demanded that the Iraq FA be reinstated by Thursday 29 May 2008, if it were to avoid a one year international suspension. The drama stems from the fact this suspension came on the eve of the Iraqi World Cup qualifier against Australia in Brisbane this Sunday. The Iraqi players are confused, while the Australian hosts are set to loose up to $3 million in gate receipts if the already sold out match do not go ahead comming Sunday as scheduled. Give a thought to the Australian players too! And all this on the eve of the FIFA Congress in Sydney, Australia.
The Maldives delegates at the FIFA Congress, Interim Committee members Shahir and Shah must be following these events closely, with the full knowledge that the Maldives sport establishment too is rife with such "external interference". Sports minister Deen have decreed that all "government sport associations" complete their elections by end of June with no mention of when the Maldives National Olympic Committee should hold its elections.
The Maldives NOC have been presided over by a government appointee since its foundation some 25 years ago. The reason for the exception is widely believed to be due to the close association the country's autocratic President Gayoom have with the NOC Chairman Zahir Naseer.
Shahir and Shah are lucky to avoid such spotlight. They are representing the Maldives FA at the FIFA Congress on an interim basis with FIFA blessings.
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