RELIEF FOR LAOS

However, the fine of USD 15,000 which was meted earlier out for fielding an averaged player in the AFC U-13 Festival of Football 2005 stays.

The LFF was suspended by the AFC Disciplinary Committee from all AFC youth competitions on 31st Aug, 2006.

The federation appealed against the decision while accepting the bans on the said player and the two Laotian officials implicated in the case.

According to www.the-afc.com, the Appeals Committee accepted the LFF¡¯s contention that a suspension of one year would be detrimental to the development of football in the country.

That and the fact that this was the first time the LFF had contravened AFC rules and regulations swayed the committee in reducing the length of the sentence.

The suspension will now run from 31st Aug, 2006 to 28th Feb, 2007.