Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Soccer high altitude ban suspended

FIFA- the governing body of soccer- suspended its controversial ban on high altitude matches; a move highly criticized by several South American nations. The edict had barred playing international matches above 8200 feet, and this would have prevented games from being played in cities like La Paz, Bolivia and Quito, Ecuador.

FIFA rescinded after pressure from South America's soccer body and Bolivian president Evo Morales who was one of the most vocal opponents of the ban:

Furious Bolivian president Evo Morales had condemned Blatter as a 'dictator' and was planning on taking his battle to the United Nations…

Blatter revealed that he had received a "harsh" letter last month from Morales but had then received a more cordial appeal from him for the sport's governing body to "advocate for the good of the game."

Though the suspension of the altitude ban may be a relief for Andean countries, there could be a problem with how Caribbean countries would be affected after Blatter proposed a set of rules regarding playing under “extreme conditions” like heat, cold, and pollution.

Sources- AFP, Reuters UK, Canadian Press, BBC News, SignOnSanDiego.com

Image- Foreign Policy Passport (Bolivian poster opposed to FIFA’s high altitude ban)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This a bit bad news. What is the exact reason for it to get suspended? Does it means, countries like La Paz, Bolivia and Quito, Ecuador could no longer play anymore?