FIFA has confirmed that it is waiting for an explanation over emergency aid for the Haiti earthquake disaster which failed to reach its destination after being sent to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF).
Soccer’s governing body said that the money had been sent to the TTFF in 2010 at the request of former executive committee member Jack Warner, who was head of the North, Central American and Caribbean Confederation (CONCACAF) at the time.
FIFA said in a statement that US$250,000 was wired to the TTFF, but the Haiti federation said it had only received US$60,000.
Photo: AFP
Soccer’s governing body said it still has not received “a satisfactory response” about what happened to the remaining US$190,000 and has stopped further payments to the Trinidad federation.
“We can confirm that FIFA wired immediately after the devastating earthquake US$250,000 as an emergency aid for Haiti to the account of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF),” the statement said.
“This was on request of the then CONCACAF president Jack Warner and subsequently transferred to the TTFF account, in order to immediately provide support to Haiti. FIFA can also confirm that it had been informed by the Haiti Football Association (FHF) in autumn 2011 that it had only received US$60,000 of this emergency aid,” it said.
“Consequently FIFA, in a letter, requested in October 2011 a full explanation from the TTFF into those funds. As FIFA has not received any satisfactory response, FIFA has stopped with immediate effect any payments to the TTFF until it will receive proper accounts of these funds allocated as an immediate relief support to the FHF,” the statement said.
FIFA said it had allocated a further US$3 million to a special Haiti fund which it controlled directly.
“The fund went towards restarting the Haitian championship and purchasing sporting equipment and various materials for the national technical center, which was renovated and extended,” FIFA said.
“In addition, the fund was used to build the completely new FHF Headquarters on the training center property, as the old one was completely destroyed in the earthquake,” it added. “Lastly, the Sylvio Cator Stadium in Port-au-Prince was renovated, with an artificial pitch one of the principal new features.”
BUMRAH WATCH: Captain Jasprit Bumrah left the SCG for scans for back spasms and although he returned to the ground, there was no word on if he would play Rishabh Pant’s blistering counterattack yesterday capped a chaotic second day of the fifth and final Test between Australia and India, with 15 wickets falling and the star bowler of the series leaving the Sydney Cricket Ground with an ambulance escort. Yet the Border-Gavaskar trophy still remains very much in the balance as India reached 141-6, holding a 145-run lead over Australia with three days remaining. “Low-scoring games like this, it just heightens the pressure within it, so long way still to go,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said. “There’s gonna be plenty of cricket, so we’ll see what happens.” Australia were bowled out for
Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan yesterday dumped defending champions Germany out of the United Cup with world No. 2 Alexander Zverev sidelined by an arm injury barely a week away from the Australian Open. The upset in Perth sent the Kazakhs into the semi-finals of the 18-nation tournament. In Sydney, women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek led Poland into the last eight by winning a rematch of her 2023 French Open final against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic. Britain also progressed to the quarter-finals with Katie Boulter’s dominant 6-2, 6-1 victory over Australia’s Olivia Gadecki enough to guarantee they won their group. The US and
HAT-TRICK PREP: World No. 1 Sabalenka clinched her first win of the season, as she aims to become the first woman in 20 years to win three Australian Opens in succession Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini and Taylor Fritz yesterday all clocked impressive wins as tennis powerhouses Italy and the US surged into the quarter-finals of the mixed-team United Cup. World No. 3 Gauff swept past Croatia’s Donna Vekic 6-4, 6-2 to avenge a loss at the Paris Olympics, while Fritz took care of Borna Coric 6-3, 6-2 in searing Perth heat. That was enough to put the Americans — last year’s winners — into a last-eight clash with China today, while Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan today are to meet defending champions Germany, led by Alexander Zverev, in the other Perth quarter-final. In Sydney, the in-form
Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek yesterday beat Elena Rybakina in straight sets to take Poland into the final of the mixed-teams United Cup with victory over Kazakhstan. Last year’s runners-up face the US today for the title in Sydney after they beat the Czech Republic in the other semi-final. “This win makes me really proud,” Swiatek said after seeing off Rybakina 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to give Poland an unassailable 2-0 lead in the tie. It was a statement of intent from the world number two with the first major of the year to start on Jan. 12. “It is perfect preparation for the
RSS