FIFA Does Not Tolerate Discrimination…Gianni Merlo
The Association of International Sports Press (AIPS) representative in the world’s football governing body (FIFA) Media Committee has said that the federation does not tolerate any form of discrimination. (Photo: AIPS (global) President Gianni M. Merlo (photo: Mohamed Fajah Barrie)
Gianni Marlo, who is the President of AIPS made this proclamation while responding to concerns of discrimination for accreditation to FIFA organized competitions by local football associations by delegates during the recently concluded AIPS-Africa Congress in Dakar, Senegal.
The delegates mainly from Sierra Leone, Benin and Nigeria had posed the concern of discrimination by their local FA’s to a Media Consultant Suleiman Habuba, the former CAF Communications Director who delivered a paper on ‘The role for the media in FIFA World Cup.’
The delegates vehemently argued that, FA’s in their countries usually sideline those sports journalists they consider as critics when it comes to accreditation for FIFA events, and advocate the procedure be changed in order to have the right people cover such competitions.
“Instead of dealing with the local FA’s FIFA should consider dealing with accredited international sports bodies like the AIPS etc in terms of issuing out accreditation to cover FIFA competitions,” they posit.
Responding, Gianni Merlo said: “it is a big mistake by Africa FA’s to discriminate against those sports journalists they consider as their critics as this is not a problem in Europe.”
He said the issue should not be looked at from a personal angle but rather, there should be written proof with regards discrimination for FIFA accreditation because the world football federation frowns at any form of discrimination.
He pointed some of the reasons responsible for this was that some local sports Journalist associations accept compromise instead of ‘fighting’ as a team for independence.
“Having two different sports associations in a country shows that you are weak therefore, you must first build up the power to negotiate as a single body,” Merlo said.
The AIPS President and FIFA Media Committee member said it is not easy to reverse the present FIFA-local FA’s accreditation policy because it is a congressional issue.
He said: “it is difficult to begin a revolution to negotiate a change from FIFA to local FA’s, to FIFA to accredited international sport bodies like the AIPS for accreditation.”
Credit: SWASAL; Sponsor: Mercury Int.’l (SL) Ltd. By Frank Cole in Dakar, SenegalStay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!
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