Zurich, April 7 (IANS) World football’s governing body FIFA’s disciplinary committee has announced that Kuwait has forfeited its matches against South Korea and Laos in the Asian qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The committee considered that Kuwait has breached articles 31 and 56 of FIFA’s disciplinary code, as well as violating article 6, paragraph 5 of the Regulations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. The Kuwait Football Association has been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 15,000 ($15,700) for each of the two matches on Wednesday, report Efe.
On March 14, FIFA decided to cancel the two matches in Group G of the Asian qualifiers due to an intervention by the Kuwaiti government into the country’s football governance.
Kuwait was scheduled to play against Laos on March 24, and against South Korea on March 29.
FIFA supports 139 social projects in 58 countries
Zurich, April 7 (IANS) Global football’s administrative body FIFA has announced it will allocate $4.3 million this year to support social development projects, through 139 organisations in 58 countries all over the globe.
According to a statement released on FIFA’s official website on Wednesday, as the world celebrates United Nations’ International Day of Sport for Development and Peace on Wednesday, it highlighted the daily work of those hundreds of organisations across the globe that are supported by the Football For Hope initiative, reports Efe.
The staff and volunteers who reach out through football to tens of thousands of young people every day are the best example of the sport’s huge potential to contribute to social development.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: “Football cannot change the world but it has the power to contribute to improving lives. As the president of FIFA, I feel it is important that our institution, as the world governing body of football, supports, through its sustainability activities and in particular the Football for Hope initiative, organisations who are using football as a catalyst for positive social change.”
This year eight new organisations have joined the initiative, among them Canada Scores, an organisation that provides free after-school programmes for vulnerable children in Vancouver, and the Policy Center for Roma and Minorities, a group which focuses on reducing the drop-out rate among Roma and non-Roma children living in extreme poverty in Romania.
FIFA also stressed that all project proposals submitted to the Football for Hope initiative have to go through a rigorous selection process in which their track record, impact and long-term viability are reviewed.
