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GOB Won’t Lend Police For FFB International Match In Belize
posted (June 16, 2011)
Belize's national football selection beat Montserrat yesterday and will play the return match on Sunday at the FFB stadium in Belmopan.

But Sports Minister John Saldivar is unimpressed. He today told us that against the hapless Montserrat team - which is ranked last in the world, the Belize team was expected to win; but what the team can't expect is any grand homecoming.

Here's more from his interview this morning:…

Jules Vasquez
"The FFB National selection as they call it won 5-2 yesterday in Trinidad. Are you excited at the news?"

Hon. John Saldivar
"I don't think anybody expected a different result Jules. Montserrat is the last place team in the region. It was lucky for them to get that draw."

Jules Vasquez
"So now the national selection you had said it was your expectation that they would not play because they have no national certification but they did go ahead - it's all over FIFA's website, Belize national selection. So obviously FFB's relationship with FIFA continues and FIFA continues to endorse this team."

Hon. John Saldivar
"And the government of Belize continues to say that the team is not authorized. The FFB is not authorized to represent this country. At the end of the day we have no control over FIFA affairs and we have to see what our legal options would be if they continue to use the name Belize."

Jules Vasquez
"So what will happen on Sunday?"

Hon. John Saldivar
"On Sunday I expect that the FFB will host a game and will claim that that is the national selection. The government maintains its position that it's not the national selection."

Jules Vasquez
"Will you all provide, obviously they have their own field but will the state assist in any way in facilitating this? We know that when you have games you need security, you need traffic control and that sort of thing."

Hon. John Saldivar
"The government doesn't intend to sanction a game that is not authorize by the government and so we will offer no logistic support to the FFB."

Jules Vasquez
"Is it inevitable that we will be suspended by FIFA?"

Hon. John Saldivar
"Well the reason for the non-registration of the FFB is that they fail to provide us with the necessary documentation for their registration and that remains the position at this point. We cannot have the FFB flaunt the laws of Belize and we are very adamant about that."

Jules Vasquez
"Is there a new federation? I see the Guardian newspaper has printed that a new federation is on the horizon. Are you all in discussions to accredit such a national federation?"

Hon. John Saldivar
"We haven't been in discussions but I can say to you Jules that it is not going to be a healthy situation for us to be without a federation for too long a period of time and so at some point we will need to either settle the matter with the FFB or have a new federation accredited to the national sports council."

Saldivar says he recommends that the FFB seek to hire a private security firm for Sunday's game.

The return match will be played at the FFB Field in Belmopan starting at 4:00 pm. Tickets are on sale. And while the FFB is whistling right past the graveyard - Sports Minister Saldivar says the hole is getting deeper because the Sports Investigation Committee which was commissioned to investigate the FFB in January has finished its draft report. Its 57 pages long and Saldivar outlined the central findings:

Hon. John Saldivar
"I have received a draft copy of the report from the chairman of the committee. I understand that its only now for final viewing by the other members of that committee and within a matter of days the complete final report will be submitted officially. But I now have a copy of the draft report."

Jules Vasquez
"Have you had a cursory review of it? What are the essential findings?"

Hon. John Saldivar
"Essentially the finding is that the current executive of the FFB was not properly elected."

Jules Vasquez
"What specifically was the violation?"

Hon. John Saldivar
"At this point I wouldn't want to go into much of the details but basically they are saying that....- several aspects of it including the fact of they not accepting Mr. Sergio Chuk's candidacy for the president was a violation. They also mention the fact that the district associations that were appointed by the president that would then go and vote for the president was also a violation. But there are several aspects of it."

The members of the committee are Chairman Joseph McGann, former member of the Belize National Football Association, Gerald Henry, former star of the once famous Avengers Football Club, and Oswald Twist, Attorney at Law.

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