Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 14, 2013 Sports
By Rawle Welch
Sunday, May 12, Mothers Day, marked seven (7) months since Guyana played Mexico (October 12) in a relocated 2014 World Cup qualifier, at the BBVA Stadium , Houston, Texas.
To this day, members of the former executive who formed part of the negotiating team that appointed promoters Sponsports and Planet Futbol to act on its behalf continues to treat the football community with disdain, offering no word on the amount of money that was derived for switching the game and ultimately denying local fans from witnessing the full repertoire of the Mexican stars that included Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, Giovani dos Santos, Rafael Márquez and Andrés Guardado.
One would have thought that with the new dispensation that has engulfed world football environment in relation to rooting out corrupt officials, the FIFA, CONCACAF and CFU might have been more than willing to know exactly what transpired with the monies accrued from the relocation of the game since it was CONCACAF who had given the green light for the fixture to be played in the United States.
Following the scandal that rocked the football community within the Caribbean that resulted in the resignation of former CONCACAF Supremo Jack Warner and suspensions or ban for other officials, CONCACAF and CFU should have felt duty-bound to offer some amount of co-operation to the local Federation to investigate whether or not there was any fraud committed by those involved in the negotiations since answers to the questions that were asked pertaining to the monies derived, remain elusive, despite numerous appeals from those within the fraternity and the media.
If the call to rid the sport of corruption is to be observed, then this particular case is one that needs to be investigated.
There is a preponderance of evidence which suggest all is not well within the world football community and that the administration of the sport is being threatened by crooked officials. Many feel that powerbroking and cronyism have reached alarming proportions, and have effectively replaced transparency and integrity.
FIFA and its affiliates since the cash for votes embarrassment have moved in the direction of correcting a system that previously either failed to detect fraudulent activities or simply ignored them and the former has decided to put into operation an investigatory chamber headed by Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Garcia, who will be at the governing body’s disposal.
All this is good, but when important stakeholders call for assistance to investigate questionable transactions that threaten to bring the sport into disgrace then timely and supportive responses become obligatory.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s expression of “roadmap to reform”, that followed a scandal-ridden crisis ahead of the 2011 Congress, will only gain traction if reports of corruption are thoroughly investigated and culpable perpetrators punished.
In the absence of information even after incessant pleas, the Guyana versus Mexico game presents a strong case for inquiry.
The recently installed executive have inherited a debt of in excess of $29million according to a release that this newspaper was privy to see, and, perhaps, the money made from switching the Mexico game could have erased that financial burden. How long will Guyana’s case be ignored?
JAGDEO ADDING MORE DANGER TO GUYANA AND THE REGION
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