Asian officials leave door slightly ajar

Press, 24 April 1984, Page 48

Asian officials leave door slightly ajar

Special correspondent Singapore Asian countries have not yet closed the door completely on the New Zealand soccer team. Despite being kicked out of Olympics, the World Cup and World Youth qualifying rounds in the Asian zone, the Asian Federation and individual countries remain keen to include New Zealand on their guest list for future domestic tournaments. The federation’s secretary, Peter Valappan, said yesterday that the New Zealand side, a regional or even

B national side could be invited to one of about eight Asian tournaments scheduled for the next 12 months. “We have a firm directive from F.I.F.A. that future tournaments should have only a 40 per cent Asian representation,” said Mr Valappan. “The remaining teams must come from Africa, Europe, South America or Oceania.” But on the touchy subject of New Zealand, or the Oceania representative, being allowed to return to play in F.I.F.A. tournaments

in Asia, Mr Valappan was more guarded. “F.I.F.A. has directed that the Ocenia team play elsewhere in the 1986 World Cup qualifying rounds. I don’t agree with the groupings, but we would only agree to include an Oceania team if the Asian group was to have three (rather than two) teams in the Mexico finals. “In the meantime, I feel Oceania should continue to protest at having to play in a group with Israel and Taiwan. Israel plays almost all its football these days against European sides and should return to Europe for

F.I.F.A. competitions. “And the way is nowclear for Taiwan to play in Asia as China and Taiwan now have a regular interchange of sporting teams on the understanding there will be no flags or anthems.” While Kuwait has led the Arab anti-New Zealand campaign in Singapore, Qatar yesterday came out in support of the Oceania side. The president of the Qatar F.A., Sultan Khalid Al Suweidi, said yesterday that the move had been unfair. “I don’t agree that New Zealand is not part of Asia.

It is unfair to expel them. As far as I am concerned a team is a team and obviously the best teams will win whether they are from Asia or not. “We did not come here to talk politics. We have objectives other than winning matches. Like making friends with other countries.” Mr Valappan is not of like mind especially on the question of Oceania being granted, for the first time, a seat on the powerful F.I.F.A. executive. “We will oppose that at

next month's congress,” said Mr Valappan. “We have the support of the African Confederation and will attempt to block the move unless our confederations are given an increase (from two to three) in the number of seats we already have. “Africa has 42 member countries of which 24 are active. Asia has 35 with 27 active,” said Mr Valappan. “Oceania has only two active countries.” But whereas Asia and Africa are guaranteed two teams each in the World Cup and World Youth finals

and three each at the Olympics, Oceania has always to be involved in a complicated, time-consuming playoff involving teams from other confederations. Without a seat at F.U.A. meetings, the fledgling confederation (spearheaded by the New Zealand chairman, Charlie Dempsey) will, so it seems, long be doomed to the wilderness; and that, one feels, is the way most Arab and Asian countries want it. They still have not forgiven New Zealand for “stealing” one of their places in the World Cup finals in Spain.