Tuesday, October 20, 2015
New Host Needed For Gulf Cup
KUWAIT: The Cabinet yesterday decided
that Kuwait would not host the 23rd Gulf Cup of Nations scheduled for
Dec 2015. The decision was made yesterday during the Cabinet’s weekly
meeting held at Bayan Palace and chaired by HH the Prime Minister Sheikh
Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, in line with a proposal by Minister
of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman
Sabah Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah.
Sheikh Salman briefed the Cabinet on the
outcome of the recent joint meeting with the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) in Lausanne, Switzerland that discussed compatibility of
the sports laws in Kuwait on the legal and organizing level, said
Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah
Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.
The Kuwaiti delegation, that included
head of the National Assembly’s Youth and Sports Committee MP Abdullah
Al-Maayouf and committee member Abdullah Al-Turaiji, clarified the
situation to the IOC. They reiterated that the Kuwaiti sports laws do
not contravene with the Olympic charter or relevant international
criteria.
They also stressed the fact that the
Kuwaiti sports bodies are “fully independent”. The Information Minister
explained the circumstances of FIFA’s decision to suspend the Kuwait
Football Association (KFA) from taking part in any international
competitions, and how the move was “arbitrary and hasty”. It entails
banning national teams and clubs from international competitions. Sheikh
Salman informed the Cabinet about the procedures to be taken to resolve
the crisis, in line with Kuwait’s sovereignty and legal and
constitutional system.
The minister suggested that after the
FIFA move, Kuwait would not host the 23rd Gulf Cup of Nations, and the
suggestion got the Cabinet’s approval. The ministers had reviewed all
the relevant regretful developments, their reasons and implications. The
Cabinet expressed deep regret over the decision that might cause harm
to Kuwait’s reputation as a country well-known for its full compliance
with international institutions and respect of laws and charters.
The Cabinet tasked the Public Authority
for Youth and Sports (PAYS) with taking the proper procedures to counter
all forms of deviation in the sports scene and achieve the aspired
reforms in its various institutions in line with directives of HH the
Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah and HH the Crown Prince
Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
The meeting highly appreciated the
sincere efforts by Sheikh Salman and PAYS, and stressed the necessity of
keeping them up to realize the aspired national goals.
The ministers lauded efforts by the
National Assembly represented by the two MPs who took part in defending
Kuwait’s international reputation in Lausanne. They highlighted the
national stance by the Kuwaiti clubs that rejected the FIFA decision,
reiterating that Kuwait’s sports laws are in line with international
charters.
# posted by Me @ 2:47 PM 
