Colombia face tough women's WC debut

Colombia face a baptism of fire in their first ever FIFA Women's World Cup in a tough Group C where they open against European heavyweights Sweden on Tuesday.

The experienced Swedes are old hands on the world stage having competed in all five previous World Cup finals, finishing runners-up to Germany in 2003, and third in the inaugural event in 1991.

The young Colombians find themselves in the 'group of death' that also includes the United States - the two-time world and Olympic champions and the top ranked FIFA team - and North Korea.

The Swedes are ranked fifth with Colombia, South American runners-up last year, ranked 31st, and Asian hopefuls North Korea, eighth.

Hopes are high however among the Colombian team which includes nine players who surprised by finishing fourth in the under-20 World Cup last year in Germany which was won by the hosts.

"We're preparing with a view to going all the way; that's our dream," said 17-year-old Colombian midfielder Yoreli Rinco.

"With God's help, we’ll go far in this competition. It would be extraordinary to come up against Brazil and (striker) Marta in the final.”

"Victory would strengthen belief in women’s football in Colombia and who knows maybe it would help me be voted World Player of the Year."

Colombia lost a warm-up match against World Cup rivals New Zealand but achieved a confidence-boosting win over Denmark on penalties.


"These matches helped up get in form for the World Cup and we're heading to Germany with high hopes," said coach Ricardo Rozo.

The South Americans will be looking to get some experience under their belts before they clash with the United States on July 2 in Sinsheim, with their final group game against North Korea in Bochum four days later.


Sweden, the 1984 European champions, are looking to return to the glory days on the 1990s. They next play North Korea on July 2 in Augsburg and the United States on July 6 in Wolfsburg.

FIFA's got it right this time

Have you heard that Ruud van Nistelrooy wants to leave Real Madrid in the January transfer window? The bigger news is that the Dutchman wants to snub Arsenal who have shown an interest in the striker to join Rafael Benitez's Liverpool.

If true, it could be a great move for Ruud. He excels in the English league as we saw during his time at Manchester United. His familiarity with the conditions and style of play will help him adapt pretty easily. Besides, since the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Kaka, Ruud hasn't featured in the starting line-up in Madrid and made brief appearance as a substitute.

Of course, after a knee surgery, Nistelrooy was out of the game for over six months last year and has been in and out since then.

Whether it will be a smart signing by Rafa, I am not too sure. Ruud will come in as a replacement for injured Spanish striker Fernando Torres. Ruud is 33 years old and nowhere near his best. His knee and ankle - both have been operated on - don't look strong enough to meet the demands of the physically challenging English game.

But that two top clubs -- Arsenal and Liverpool -- are interested in the player despite his trouble with injuries speaks volumes of the respect the Dutchman enjoys as a top striker. Yet, I don't think he is the answer for either clubs.

Another topic of discussion that has left me terribly amused is whether France should play a rematch of the World Cup 2010 qualifier against Ireland or not. Thierry Henry, the cheat, and Arsene Wenger, France's conscience-keeper, want the rematch.

To recap, the Irish were cheated out of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa by Thierry Henry's handball in the build-up to France's extra-time equaliser in the qualifier that ended 1-1. After the handball, unnoticed by the referee, Henry set up William Gallas who scored the decisive goal for France ensuring their passage to South Africa.

Of course it wasn't right. Henry cheated. Ireland deserved that berth in South Africa having outplayed France throughout the game. But does that call for a rematch? I don't think so. FIFA has ruled that the draw at the Stade de France cannot be changed and I am with the game's top body on this one.

There have been hundreds of instances where a team has won unfairly while the deserving has gotten cheated out. If one were to replay every match, there would be no end to it.
Handball is cheating, as is diving and may such offences. Sometimes the players get punished, sometimes such things go unnoticed. That's the nature of the game and part of what makes the sport so watchable. Else, Argentina shouldn't have been champions in 1986 nor Italy in 2006, who cheated out Australia in Germany.

Football is full of wonders, beauty, magic, skill, grit and flaws, cheats, pain, tragedy. It's all of it. Just like life. Ok, so Henry cheated. Just like 95 per cent other footballers, who have also cheated at some point or the other. End of story. No rematch please. Let's move on.

Footballers kick off World Cup anti-malaria fight

Footballers are teaming up with governments, companies and international health campaigners to push for action against malaria ahead of next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.

The 'United Against Malaria' campaign, which will start next month and run until the end of the World Cup, has won the backing of singer Bono, actress Ashley Judd and philanthropist Melinda Gates, wife of Microsoft founder Bill.

Players such as US captain Landon Donovan and the Ivory Coast team have already said they are behind the campaign, while other prominent footballers backing the movement will be revealed when the campaign is officially launched.

Malaria, which spreads through the bites from infected mosquitoes, kills nearly one million people a year, almost all in Africa where a child dies from the disease every 30 seconds.

The United Nations is trying to get universal access to diagnostic tests, mosquito nets and malaria medicine as part of its bid to cut the number of deaths to zero by 2015.

"Malaria is a disease that you have at household level. You use football to bring messages on prevention measures or how to treat people," Awa Marie Coll-Seck, executive director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, told Reuters on Saturday.

"This will reach them as they will watch everything on football and if messages are linked to that it will be a very important vehicle for information for us," she said on the sidelines of FIFA's medical conference in Zurich.

The Roll Back Malaria Partnership comprises UN agencies, the World Bank, leading drug makers and aid experts.

Coll-Seck, who was in Zurich to present the campaign to representatives of countries from across the world, said that through football it was possible to gather more support from people in developed countries who could act as donors.

Malaria affects 247 million people each year, with 86% of cases in Africa.

Coll-Seck said there was a slight risk players could get malaria when they are in South Africa next summer but this could be reduced by informing people about the disease.

"It's not a part of Africa that has too many cases, but it can happen and people need to be careful," she said.

"We will make it clear why malaria matters. If you look at malaria, at least 40 percent of the world's population is at risk of this disease," Coll-Seck said.

"At the same time, it's a disease which affects particularly children and pregnant women and they are the vulnerable ones in our society. Malaria also has an impact on the economies of countries, on the education of people, on poverty," she said.

"It is also a disease that people can defeat because its treatable and preventable and if you have all this why not use all means, including football, to fight this disease," she said.

FIFA has recently introduced 'The 11 for Health' programme to teach the youth of Africa about the main diseases affecting the continent within the parameters of football and one of its messages includes using treated bed nets.

Paraguay coach wary of U-20s

Paraguay's national Under-20 team head coach Adrian Coria says he will not make the mistake and underestimate Trinidad and Tobago when both teams clash in Cairo at the FIFA Under 20 World Championship on October 1.

In a recent interview, Coria spoke of his team's readiness for the upcoming tournament, noting that his team had already beaten T&T 4-1 in an invitational tournament in Venezuela some weeks ago. But he changed his assessment of the junior "Soca Warriors" following their narrow 3-2 loss to Brazil a few days later after being ahead 2-0.

"We played them (T&T) in a six-team tournament in Venezuela and won 4-1," said the Argentina-born Coria. Â

"I didn't think much of their football that day, but they were a totally different side against Brazil a few days later. They played with a lot of skill and created a lot of chances."

Commenting further on his team, Coria added: "We had to go and look for players in the lower leagues because there weren't any in the first division. Then, when we went to Venezuela, we had very little idea how we would respond in a competition like that. Even so, things worked out well for us and we managed to qualify for Egypt and finish runners-up, something we really deserved."

Thanks to their performances at the continental championship, several of Coria's charges have opened up exciting new career horizons.

"It was amazing because quite a few of the players went off to Europe, Argentina and Mexico after the tournament," Coria continued.

When T&T and Paraguay faced each other, Germany-based striker Jamal Gay was not in the line-up. But the big striker along with Belgium-based midfielder Khaleem Hyland have joined up, giving a boost to Zoran Vranes' squad. And Gay says he wants to help T&T try and erase some of the disappointment of not advancing to South Africa 2010.

"That was a big disappointment for me, finding out while we were in Turkey that we lost out on qualifying for South Africa," Gay told TTFF Media after a double session with T&T in Lanarca yesterday.

"I was part of that team last year and it hurt but now I am really happy that I have the chance to go on and represent us at the Under 20 World Cup. It's a great opportunity to move on from here."

He added: "I've settled in easily because I have been around some of the guys before. We have a good chance of doing well but we have to play and work hard on the day of the games. We have to avoid silly mistakes.

"I have scored three goals in games since I joined the team but I have to work harder because it's going to be really tough in Egypt. We can create history and there is a massive opportunity out there for us to take our game to a higher level. Everyone from across the world will be looking at the opening game so we have to make it count" Gay added.

Commenting on his experience in Germany, Gay added that it has been no easy sailing with Second Division club Rot Weiss Oberhausen.

"It's good to be training and playing among and against very good players. There are better strikers at the club, so it means I have to work harder and score more goals to get a start. I'm making good use of my opportunities and I score whenever I get a chance in the training games but there are better strikers who start ahead of me in the League games."

Gay noted that he will be missing a Cup encounter against German giants Bayern Munich this coming week.

"I scored four goals in a practice game before I came to join the national team. The coach was happy but he still preferred the other strikers. We play Bayern Munich in the German Cup second round next week but for me, being with my national team is more important," Gay said

FIFA satisfied with meeting of the sports ministers of the European Union

Following the meeting of the European sports ministers that took place in Biarritz, France on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 November, to which the Olympic and sporting movement was also invited, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter said: "I am satisfied with the coming together of viewpoints and the strong support for the notions of specificity, autonomy and self-regulation of sport that was demonstrated by the 27 European ministers during the meeting in Biarritz. The unanimous support of the ministers and their desire for dialogue point towards a bright future for the Olympic and sporting movement."

The unity and desire for structured dialogue with the European authorities shown by the Olympic and sporting movement, led by Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee, who made an impressive speech at the meeting, coupled with the backing given among others by the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations, the International Ice Hockey Federation, the International Basketball Federation, the International Rugby Board and UEFA, give cause for great satisfaction at the progress of the discussions.

A private meeting between the FIFA President and the European Commissioner Jan Figel allowed both parties to allay certain doubts regarding the application of the specificity and autonomy of sport.

Blatter is equally delighted by the unanimous agreement voiced by the 27 European sports ministers on the need for dialogue and discussion of the "6+5" rule while respecting its compatibility with EU law.

The 27 European sports ministers issued the following joint statement with regard to the "6+5" rule: "... the ministers express their interest in and want to encourage further discussions on the initiatives of international federations to encourage the teams of professional clubs in each country to develop the presence of athletes capable of qualifying for national teams, in compliance with EU law, to strengthen the regional and national rules of professional clubs."

The FIFA President also spoke about the measures being taken by FIFA to protect minors and training clubs. These met with the appreciation of the European ministers.

Forum mulls enhanced EU sports role

The first European Sports Forum, held last week in the French town of Biarritz, kicked off a renewed EU-level stakeholder dialogue between the sector and the European Commission in view of a future EU competence on sport.

Around 200 representatives of European sports organisations, national sport confederations, National Olympic Committees and international sports stakeholders took stock of the implementation of the 2007 White Paper on Sport and discussed grassroots sports financing.

The Commission noted declining solidarity in sports funding as a result of increased internationalisation and competitiveness of professional sport, launching an independent study into the financing of grassroots sport in the EU 27 in early 2009.

The study will examine the sources of sports financing, covering national regulatory aspects that have an impact on funding streams related to the application of EU law, such as national monopolies on gambling.

A significant part of the forum was dedicated to the specific nature of sport. Here, the discussions mainly focused on football's disputed '6 5 rule' , proposed by FIFA to limit the number of foreign players in club competitions. The EU executive and the European Parliament argue that such a rule would constitute discrimination based on nationality and break Community law, which guarantees freedom of movement for workers.

EU sports ministers, an an informal meeting connected with the forum, asked the Commission to consider the matter of 6+5 and come up with a solution. Ministers also echoed a previous call from the European Parliament and the sports movement for EU executive to provide sports organisations clearer legal guidelines on the application of EU law.

Positions:
Several sports stakeholders told EurActiv that it was "a pity" that the forum's programme was dominated by long presentations and speeches, leaving no time for real discussion or dialogue between stakeholders.

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter welcomed EU sports ministers' support for "the need for dialogue and discussion of the '6+5 rule' while respecting its compatibility with EU law".

"Sport does not aspire to put itself above the law," UEFA President Michel Platini told the ministers, "but it is specific. Sport is not an economic activity like any other. Football is a game rather than just a product or a market. It is a spectacle rather than just a business".

Platini urged Europe to change its stance, arguing "sporting equity and competition balance cannot be submitted to arbitrary market laws". Europe must "take inspiration from sport, instead of imposing on sport unsound ideological models which have been pre-manufactured elsewhere," he said, calling on the European Commission to provide more legal certainty and adopt guidelines allowing professional football to remain within European law without compromising its autonomy.

Mogens Kirkeby, president of the International Sport and Culture Association, warned that general economic stagnation would lead to a decrease in the overall financial resources available for sport. "A strong international and national focus on the elite sport after the Olympic Games, will create a competition on the available resources within the sport sector and it will put grassroots sport under economic pressure," he said.

Kirkeby thinks that more sectors must be inspired and encouraged to contribute financial resources to grassroots sport. "The starting point for such involvement of other public and private financial partners is the instrumental abilities [such as contribution to health or social integration] of grassroots sport," he added.

Echoing Kirkeby's concerns about the imbalance in attention and funding given to elite and grassroot sport, Enrique Sanchez-Guijo Acevedo, president of the European Paralympic Committee, said there was no doubt that competitive sport was "a very complex reality and that it merits profound analysis".

However, he underlined that elite sport is nourished by grassroot sports. "We cannot take the risk of over-talking about elite sports while losing sight of its essential backbone: base sports," he said.

Strong support shown for "6+5" at meeting with French sports minister

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter held very productive meetings regarding "6+5" with French sports minister Bernard Laporte and a delegation representing FIFPro at the Home of FIFA in Zurich this week.

On Tuesday 17 June, the FIFA President welcomed Mr Laporte to a meeting that was also attended by President of the French FA Jean-Pierre Escalettes and President of the French League Frédéric Thiriez. Commenting on this meeting the next day in a programme on French television channel Canal+, the French sports minister said: "I told Mr Blatter that I think the 6+5 proposal is a good idea. I think it is in the interest of all of us, of education and of our young players, and that it applies not only to football, but also to rugby, volleyball and indeed all sports. It is our responsibility to debate this issue and examine it fully."

On Wednesday, Mr Blatter hosted a delegation from FIFPro, led by FIFPro Europe President Philippe Piat and by FIFPro Secretary General Theo Van Seggelen, who also stressed their support for the objectives of "6+5".

"I am encouraged by the support that we have received in the past few days and this gives me even greater motivation to continue working on '6+5', with further meetings to be held next week," said the FIFA President, who will receive a delegation from the IOC, including its Chairman of International Relations Mario Pescante and representatives from the international federations of five team sports (basketball, handball, ice hockey, rugby and volleyball) at the Home of FIFA in Zurich on Wednesday, 25 June.