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Macao willing to solve "misunderstanding" with FIFA
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-02-17 14:17 Macao is willing to
intermediate in solving a "misunderstanding" between FIFA and the Macao Football
Association (AFM), said a senior sport official with China's Macao Special
Administrative Region (SAR) government here on Wednesday.
According to FIFA's official website on Wednesday, the world soccer governing
body had decided to suspend AFM's membership, which means all international
football activities, including the East Asian soccer games in October.
The suspended activities include foreign teams' participation in matches held
in Macao and matches of Macao teams abroad, participation to regional
tournaments, Macao's electoral rights ininternational football organizations.
Macao Sports Development Board acting president Vong Iao Lek onWednesday told
Xinhua that FIFA had sent a letter to the bureau inquiring its interference with
AFM's election of a new president in October last year, and apparently they were
not satisfied with Macao's answer.
It was reported that a dispute in the board of AFM over the leadership caused
over half members with the board to resign, and led to the election. Victor
Cheong Lup Kuan came out of the election held by a newly-elected board. His
victory and the new board were accepted by the government.
However, in a letter from FIFA to AFM's former president Andy Chui Vai Pui,
it said that FIFA still considered Chui in his capacity as "president" of AFM.
"FIFA's decision came all of a sudden," said Vong. "We have notbeen notified
in any forms about it beforehand. However, we still hope to help AFM solve the
problem as soon as possible."
Incumbent president of AFM Cheong said that the association would try its
utmost to solve the issue with FIFA before the 4th East Asian Games (EAG), which
costs a government budget of 2.6 billion patacas (about 325 million US dollars)
in infrastructure construction.
Cheong rejected FIFA's claims that the association's election was
undemocratic and the government interfered in its internal affairs. He said that
he was directly elected by 55 members from 63 football organizations affiliated
to the association. The election was held legitimately and acknowledged by the
local government.
Manuel Silverio, president of the Macao Sports Development Board and also
chairman of the organizing committee of the 4th EAG,said that FIFA can not
unilaterally cancel the football contests in the EAG, which means that if
participating countries and regions approved to send their teams, EAG's football
matches wouldhopefully go on.
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