ZURICH: World federation FIFA has appointed a normalisation committee to run the Kuwait Football Association in its attempt to roll back interference from the Sports Ministry writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

Last year FIFA used the ‘normalisation’ power to bring some order to the chaotic affairs of the Argentinian AFA and it is also a possibility for Australia after ongoing leadership confusion with the FFA. It could even be applied to Spain whose federation is in turmoil after the suspension of long-term president Angel Maria Villar.

Last December 6 the FIFA Bureau – president Gianni Infantino and heads of the six regional confederation – lifted a two-year suspension imposed on the KFA after parliament scrapped a controversial sports law deemed to bring it under direct government control.

This had been considered by FIFA as state interference in contravention of the statutes of both the world governing body and the KFA. Kuwait’s Olympic membership had also been suspended by the IOC for similar reasons.

The Kuwait issue arose following a dispute between members of the ruling royal family who included Olympic powerbroker Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah. Sheikh Ahmad had been a member of the FIFA Council but stood down after being subject to corruption allegations which he has denied.

In its latest move FIFA explained that representatives from head office and from the Asian Football Confederation had visited Kuwait and decided that a normalisation committee was the most appropriate action.

FIFA said the committee would run the KFA’s daily affairs, review its  statutes and bring them in line with the demands of FIFA and the AFC; organise elections for a new board of directors no later than May 20.

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