By Ek Madra
PHNOM PENH, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Asian soccer chiefs agreed on Saturday to continue funding Cambodia's cash-strapped soccer federation after observers said elections for its president were free and fair.
General Sao Sokha, the national Military Police commander and close ally of Prime Minister Hun Sen, was re-elected as president of the Cambodian Football Federation (CFF) on Saturday for a four-year term.
Rene Z Adad, deputy chairman of the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) legal committee, said the polls were legitimate and international aid would resume.
"I was very much impressed with what we have witnessed," Adad told a news conference. "It really followed the democratic process. As the rules have been followed, the election therefore has to be recognised."
FIFA had threatened to ban Cambodia from international matches and withdraw its support for the CFF after Sao Sokha was elected to replace Khek Ravy, a politician from the royalist FUNCINPEC party.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter said that April election had been "flagrantly violated on the grounds of political interference" and called for Khek Ravy to be reinstated.
Khek Ravy, CFF head for eight years, was runner up in Saturday's polls and will serve as deputy president.
Cambodia last week asked FIFA, the AFC and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) to attend the elections to prove there was no political interference in running its national game.
Sao Sokha said financial support for the war-scarred country was essential and vowed to follow international soccer laws.
"Cambodia is a poor country and has just has earned its peace," he told a news conference, referring to decades of civil war and the 1970s Khmer Rouge genocide.
"I urge FIFA, the AFC, the AFF and others to provide for us support both financially and technically so that we can improve our soccer."
Cambodia is one of Asia's least successful teams and failed to reach next year's ASEAN Football Championships after being eliminated in a pre-qualifying tournament in the Philippines last month.
(Writing by Martin Petty in Doha)
PHNOM PENH, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Asian soccer chiefs agreed on Saturday to continue funding Cambodia's cash-strapped soccer federation after observers said elections for its president were free and fair.
General Sao Sokha, the national Military Police commander and close ally of Prime Minister Hun Sen, was re-elected as president of the Cambodian Football Federation (CFF) on Saturday for a four-year term.
Rene Z Adad, deputy chairman of the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) legal committee, said the polls were legitimate and international aid would resume.
"I was very much impressed with what we have witnessed," Adad told a news conference. "It really followed the democratic process. As the rules have been followed, the election therefore has to be recognised."
FIFA had threatened to ban Cambodia from international matches and withdraw its support for the CFF after Sao Sokha was elected to replace Khek Ravy, a politician from the royalist FUNCINPEC party.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter said that April election had been "flagrantly violated on the grounds of political interference" and called for Khek Ravy to be reinstated.
Khek Ravy, CFF head for eight years, was runner up in Saturday's polls and will serve as deputy president.
Cambodia last week asked FIFA, the AFC and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) to attend the elections to prove there was no political interference in running its national game.
Sao Sokha said financial support for the war-scarred country was essential and vowed to follow international soccer laws.
"Cambodia is a poor country and has just has earned its peace," he told a news conference, referring to decades of civil war and the 1970s Khmer Rouge genocide.
"I urge FIFA, the AFC, the AFF and others to provide for us support both financially and technically so that we can improve our soccer."
Cambodia is one of Asia's least successful teams and failed to reach next year's ASEAN Football Championships after being eliminated in a pre-qualifying tournament in the Philippines last month.
(Writing by Martin Petty in Doha)
3 comments:
Did you, Mr. Sao Sokha, say that "Cambodia will not die if FIFA does not fund Cambodian Olympic Committee"? but now you need support financially and technically to improve Cambodian soccer.
That's the leader runs his mouth before his head.
He is the self appoint leader who knew how to criticize others ,but corrupt to the bones himself.
Post a Comment