DILI (18 May 2014) – AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has once again reiterated the confederation’s support to fight match-fixing in Asian football.
Opening the Football Integrity and Security Summit in Doha, which is organised by the Qatar Football Association, the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) and the Qatar Stars League (QSL), Shaikh Salman said: “When talking about integrity in football, the fight against match-fixing rises as top a priority.
“This issue has become a serious threat to the game, and calls for unity of the entire football system and relevant authorities to stop this menace”.
Shaikh Salman noted that the AFC’s strategy to fight match manipulation features several initiatives that focus on updating the regulations and legislation to deal with this issue, besides forming a special task force and a new integrity department at the confederation.
Other initiatives include the creation of a monitoring system for the matches in continental competitions in cooperation with Sportradar, one of the experienced global experts in this area.
“The AFC has been keen to promote the mechanisms of awareness on the dangers of match-fixing by organising seminars and courses, as well as activating its partnership with relevant parties such as the FIFA, the continental federations, national federations, government bodies and the Interpol,” added Shaikh Salman.
“AFC is fully committed to continue our efforts to eradicate match-fixing across Asia, and we look at what have been accomplished as a strong motive to exert more efforts in this area. We are confident that the national federations and clubs’ cooperation in the continent plays an indispensable role in capitalizing on our endeavors”.
The AFC President concluded his speech by thanking officials at the QFA, the QSL and ICSS for hosting this significant summit, which represents a great opportunity to exchange ideas and visions on ways to provide safety and security to football.
Both QFA President Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani and ICSS President Mohammed Hanzab also delivered similar speeches on this occasion, in which they focused on the positive dimensions of holding the summit and its objectives.
Meanwhile, Shaikh Salman will attend the final match of the UAE Football Cup final between Al Ahli and Al Ain at Zayed Sports City Stadium on Sunday.
The visit comes as per an invitation from the UAE Football Association, as Shaikh Salman will also be meeting several high-ranking UAE Football Association representatives to discuss several issues related to football in Asia.
