FIFA chief warns corrupt football officials
Kampala: The President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, has warned football association leaders not to use money meant for the sport for their own gain.
The FIFA President made it clear that if there were any football federation leaders who wished to enrich themselves with football money, they would be caught and sanctioned, Xinhua news agency reported.
"No one should think of using football money for his own gains," Infantino said in an interview.
The FIFA chief was in Nouakchott, the largest Saharan city and the Mauritania capital, to attend the seventh FIFA Executive Football Summit.
Infantino said that with the increased funds FIFA was giving to it's member associations, there was also increased evaluation and monitoring.
"We are asking each football federation to sign a contract with FIFA that focuses on accountability. We are monitoring and auditing centrally to make sure funds are used appropriately," he added.
He also stressed on the merits of having FIFA summits all over the world.
Infantino said the summits were organised so that football leaders could thrash issues instead of coming to FIFA congresses to simply endorse things they do not understand.
"I wanted to change the aspect of football associations just endorsing views during FIFA assemblies. Instead (I want them to) come and sit down and discuss football freely together with the FIFA President," he added.
The summit in Mauritania that ended on Sunday discussed a range of issues pertaining to football, with the focus being on the FIFA Forward programme as well as youth and women's competitions.
Launching the series of summits in Paris in November 2016, Infantino, who made it clear that the game could only develop successfully if FIFA cooperates closely and communicates regularly with its 211 member associations.
Since then, 12 strategic summits have been held around the globe in the 2016-2017 series.
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Dy CM Shivakumar confident of Congress win in Karnataka bypolls
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday expressed confidence that the ruling Congress will secure a decisive victory in the Assembly bypolls scheduled for April 9 in the Bagalkote and Davanagere South constituencies, citing a favourable ground response to the party’s guarantee schemes.
These are ‘Shakti’, ‘Gruha Lakshmi’, ‘Gruha Jyoti’, ‘Yuva Nidhi’ and ‘Anna Bhagya’.
The bypolls were necessitated by the demise of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, who represented Davanagere South and Bagalkote constituencies, respectively.
The Congress has fielded Shivashankarappa’s grandson, Samarth Shamanur, in Davanagere South and Umesh Meti in Bagalkote. They are locked in direct contests with BJP candidates T Dasakariyappa and Veerabhadrayya Charantimath.
“Both Bagalkote and Davanagere are very positive. Congress workers are doing an excellent job, going door to door and convincing people about the guarantee schemes,” Shivakumar told reporters here.
He said even voters who had earlier supported the BJP were now inclined towards the Congress.
“Even those who voted for the BJP earlier are saying they will vote for Congress. People want the guarantees to continue and are expressing difficulties due to rising prices,” he said.
Expressing confidence of an improved electoral performance, he added, “There is a strong sense that we will win with a bigger margin than before.”
Shivakumar also said he would travel to Kerala for two days and resume campaigning thereafter. “I am going to Kerala for two days. After returning, we will continue the campaign from Davanagere,” he said.
Referring to the shortage of LPG, including auto LPG, in the state, Shivakumar blamed the BJP-led government and called for immediate intervention by the Centre.
“The LPG shortage is due to the BJP. Auto drivers and those in the transport sector are facing difficulties,” he claimed.
“This is something the central government has to address. It must formulate proper policies and take precautionary measures,” he said, adding that the BJP should apologise to the public.
“They should come forward and apologise to the people for the inconvenience caused and resolve the issues they have created,” he said.
