Colombians in fury at FIFA over criticism of Women’s World Cup bid
ZURICH: In an expression of sour grapes they may come to regret, senior officials of the Colombian federation and South American governing body CONMEBOL have whinged to FIFA over the award of the 2023 Women’s World Cup to Australia.
The Colombian proposal to bring the tournament to South America for the first time received the lowest score in an evaluation of three bids to host the tournament carried out by world football’s governing body ahead of next Friday’s vote.
The joint bid from Australia and New Zealand was rated 4.1 out of five in the report, Japan was adjudged worthy of a 3.9 score but Colombia only 2.8.
A letter to members of FIFA council, CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez and Colombian supremo Ramon Jesurun said: “In the document, FIFA’s administration draws some erroneous and discriminatory conclusions on three aspects of vital importance for the score of our candidacy.”
This is not the first Dominguez has thrown his toys out of the world football pram. Early this year he raged about FIFA’s decision to stage a council meeting online rather than run the coronavirus gauntlet and flying everyone to South America.
The joint letter went on to complain about the accuracy of entries about medical services, doping and commercial aspects of the bid abd objected to two references to terrorism.
It said: “The ‘terrorism’ alluded to with regrettable lightness by the technical report has not existed for a long time. Colombia today, lives in a time of stability and social peace, fruits of the efforts and maturity of its people.
“It denotes ignorance in relation to Colombia’s situation, and a lack of interest in carrying out, at least, minimal research of the situation in which this country finds itself currently.”
Another “affirmation” the letter deemed “offensive” was that patients with serious conditions would have to be evacuated to other countries because emergency services in Colombian hospitals do not conform with international sanitary standards.
“The best hospitals in Bogota, Medellin and Cali are among the most advanced in South America, according to the prestigious ranking of America Economia,” read the letter. “Moreover, they are recognized for receiving serious cases from abroad.”
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