WASHINGTON: The United States Senate is to delve into FIFA and its associated corruption crises after confirmation of a hearing next Wednesday by its subcommittee on consumer protection, product safety, insurance and data security writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

Senator Jerry Moran, the subcommittee chairman, is to preside over a hearing entitled: Examining the Governance and Integrity of International Soccer.

A hearing confirmation statement said it would “examine the integrity and impending leadership changes at FIFA, the role of the United States in international soccer, and concerns about the labor conditions of workers in Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup.”

The dubcommittee exercises jurisdiction over sports within the Senate commerce committee.

Moran said: “Soccer is by far the most popular sport in the world, and it is attracting a wider audience by the day in the United States.

“Children across America and the globe look up to athletes as role models, and professional sports must be held to the highest standards. The recent revelations of bribery and mismanagement at FIFA should be of concern to us all.

“The organization’s culture of corruption is turning a blind eye to significant human rights violations and the tragic loss of lives. This hearing on the recent FIFA scandals will begin the discussion about our country’s own participation in the organization, ways the United States and our allies can work to reform FIFA, and how we can restore integrity to the game so many Americans and citizens of the world enjoy.”

Scheduled witnesses included investigative journalist Andrew Jennings, US Soccer Federation ceo Dan Flynn, former FIFA governance adviser Michael Hershman and Amnesty International’s Sunjeev Bery.

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