But Ministry of Sports wins and FIFA suspends the F.F.B. match
Bernaldino Pech
As soon as the team landed, they were whisked off to a press conference at the Belize Biltmore Plaza. The players were probably expecting congratulations, but instead they found out the bad news of the suspension and that there will not be a Sunday game for local fans in the capital. Bernaldino Pech broke the news to the media and players.
Bernaldino Pech, Senior Vice President, FFB
“Unfortunately, because of the doings of our own government, the very institution that should be supporting our young men, the very institution that is supposed to be leading the patriotic charge will deny our greatest warriors, will deny our greatest patriots that opportunity to continue to showcase themselves, to continue to lift up the Belizean spirits. We have been denied by our Minister of Sports and by our Government. And at this point in time, if you would permit me, I want to read out for you the official release from FIFA.
On eight June, 2011, the Government of Belize, through the Ministry of Sports wrote to Football Federation of Belize informing you that the F.F.B. has failed to make the requirements for registrations with the Council as the national body for the administration of football in Belize. As a consequence, the ministry informed the F.F.B. that the F.F.B. was not authorized to represent this country in any local or international competition or in any other forum of football on behalf of the government, people and nation of Belize. That last part was a direct quote from the letter sent to FIFA. On June ten, 2011, FIFA wrote to you to inform you this move is a clear case of governmental interference and gave the F.F.B. until June thirtieth, 2011 to settle the dispute or be referred to the FIFA emergency committee for suspension. The Belize government has now written to us dated sixteenth June 2011 to inform you that the Belize police “will not be providing any services to the federation with respect to the security of the visiting team and officials of the match.” Under these circumstances and due to the interference of the government of Belize, FIFA cannot take the responsibility of letting the match take place. The issue was thus referred to today to the FIFA emergency committee which took the following decisions:
One: the Nineteenth June 2011 match Belize versus Montserrat is postponed to a new date to be confirmed, but no later than ten July, 2011, provided that the situation is back to normal regarding the F.F.B. In the event that the match can’t take place by that date, the national air representative team of Belize will be excluded from the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil preliminary competition.
Two: the Football Federation of Belize is immediately suspended due to the interference of the Belize’s government. The suspension will last until the Belize government reverses its decision. In addition, any action taken by the government against the office bearers of the F.F.B. will not be recognized. We kindly ask you to keep us updated of our efforts to resolve this issue and of the evolution of the situation.
Sincerely yours, for FIFA, Markus Kattner, Deputy General Secretary.”
The letter was also copied to CONCACAF. In addition to the disheartened players and the media, were also Belizeans for Justice and members of the Belize Bus Association. The presence of the bus association was relevant because the highway blockage and protests were in part due to government’s preference of Sergio Chuc’s West Line. It just happens that Chuc is also the man who was blocked from running for the president of the FFB.
So its all coming together now…Chuc, who is an executive member of the UDP, was blocked out of the elections for the FFB. Basically the UDP government is saying in no uncertain terms ” To hell with all you footballers, to hell with all you football fans and fanatics, to hell with the future of football in Belize, to hell with FIFA”—- our chosen one Sergio Chuk will be vindicated by any means neccesary. The UDP’s want to get their hands in the pocket of that FIFA money as well. I guess each time the cabinet meets, the only question on the agenda is hmmm……”Which Institution will we wreck today?”
Shame on Mr Zaldivar and the Government of Belize to allow racism to determine the course of foot ball in Belize. It has been too obvious that Zaldivar has animosity against Mr Chimillio because he is a Garifuna. Mr Barrow ; Prime Minister; Belize must address this racism in his government and sac Mr Zaldivar. He Must go!
let the minister win but for election your doomed and never again will the stupid @$$hole$ u.d.p will ever win again an election.
In agreement with you Carlton, it’s so obvious that the UDP wanted to get rid of Dr. Bertie. The black population are evidently decreasing in BZE; the Creole’s killing themselves in the !@#$% the ones who we voted in to make a positive difference are descriminating against the Garifunas. Blacks are no longer the majority in BZE. The over 50% percenters are really loving this. “Belice es nuestro”
NUMBER ONE A WIN IS A WIN AND A WIN FOR BELIZE WHAT A SPORT FOR THE WORLD TO SEE OUR PROFESSIONALS AT IT BEST YES TI,S BEST .. THIS SO CALL SPORT [ DUNCEY] MINISTER CANT HANDLE THIS ; TIME HAVE CHANGE NO ONE MAN CAN RULE A NATION ANYMORE — STEP ASIDE MINISTER YOU ARE MAD BECAUSE YOU WERE LOOKING FOR PACKET MONEY OR HOW YOU CAN ROB THE FFB LIKE BACK IN THE DAYES WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL AND THE PLAYES DID NOT GET A $#!% AND THEY HAD BILL AND FOOD AND ROOFTOP TO TAKE CARE OFF ;; QUESTION FOR THIS FOOL OF A MINISTER SHOW US WHAT ARCHIVEMENT YOU HAVE IN SPORTS YOU FOOL WHAT UNIVERSITY YOU ATTEND AND ARCHIVE A MASTER IN SPORTS TO WANT RUN SPORT IN BELIZE NON …. YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO OUR NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD…… LEAVE SPORT FOR SPORT MASTERS NOT FOR SILLY PEOPLE LIKE YOU AGAIN A WIN IS A WIN EVEN IF YOU WIN A GOOD OR A BAD TEAM ;MINISTER YOU ARE A LOOOOSER YOU LOOK BAD —- AND YOU APPEARS TO BE A SCHOOL DROP OUT , THE SUSPENDSION IS THE BEST START FOR BELIZE TO GET THING RIGHT AND DO WHAT RIGHT FOR BELIZE –YU BETA BELIZE DAT
I once read a story of a King who wanted everything he touch into gold bcas he was so gluttonous for wealth, he once learned his lesson by being in sorrow when his daughter which he cherish even more than gold was touch by hi and change into gold, he wept and wept,learned a lesson that its not all about power but the people dearest to u, they make u powerful…….On the contrary, here we have the government that touches everything with no sense of thought on there actions, but they change everything to pure $#!t rather than gold, Land Department, oil exploration, transport department, police department, human resources and a chance of being in the world-up….Still..but still this goin to pass by and everyones will just pass by thats wat the minister thinks and basically i dont blame him bcas he knows Belizeans…This need to be taken into immediate action, a whole team and a chance to be in the world cup cannot be vindicated bcas of one man…Let our local boys spread Belize across the whole rather than a music ambassador who gangsta his own people to make a profit and swiftly leave the country for his so call birth place, Israel…Idiots are appointed as our ministers but we cant blame them bcas it’s us who place them their and its us who can remove them, no more standin around Belizeans…we can have better jobs if u scared to act bcas u want to keep urs, let new light shines in Belize the ministers just want to middle in FIFA funds and use it for there own purpose, in every other country Football Corporation is an independent entity government should not indulge in ts affairs…this really proves that the government wants dictatership…do ya research, football corporation is an independent entity, but its represent the country……..In our Case Belize screw the govnment…
But i guess only the team will march for this cause not the majority of Belizeans and eveything is back to normal…..
OMG! I never thought I would see such ignorance from my countrymen/women as those comments above that refer to racism. Look at the level of response from mail man. Questioning the Minister of Sport’s education when his English is not even at the standard of an Infant 2 student. Goodness Gracious me. LMAO!
Chimillo should not be allowed to flout the law. It mandates his sporting organisation to be certified and that he MUST do! THe only thing GOB did wrong was probably not informing the football players of the situation. I am sympathetic towards the players in that regard nevertheless Chimillo and his org. need to be brought within the ambit of the law!
GEt Chimilio Out. Then football will exceed. no one made noise when he sold off belize spots in CONCACAF so get the facts people then comment!
Some of these posters are just ignorant to the fact of the situation and are just spewing allegatione because they have an issue with current UDP administration. Put your political views aside and look at the facts before you start with the name calling and race issue… FIFA is a powerful and corrupted organization and likewise the FFB is as such, corrupted. While GOB does not subsidize the FFB and most it not all it’s income comes from FIFA; there must be a level of accountability seeing that FFB is the organization representing US. Guess a different approach or a different timing would have been more appropriate; but from past experience it would seem that this was the only way to get a reaction out of the FFB. But yes, please get the facts of the matter first.
@mailman – Kindly proofread your posts before you go out on that dunce, school drop out limb.. Might find a mirror on the end…
i kinda agree with mail man. not saying that the minister is incompetent, but politicians on a whole. some minister have degrees in econimics, anthropology, international communications and finance, etc….so they have respective portfolios. but how did john saldivar get sports??????? why is it that political parties can put anyone to run and they automatically have the know-how of a particular ministry? are they saying that ANYBODY can do the job???? is that why carlos perdomo is our defense minister? and Torres wants to become mayor?? politics in belize is a big POPULARITY contest. thats why hegar won, and shoman lost in pan last week. whoever is more popular at time of voting. now look 3 years later. who wants carlos perdomo as our defense minister????!!! horrible job, but dean is saying he can do it. who believes that????????
i also agree with bzeanbuay about mailman…….proofread your work before u submit it mein.
Come on people how many times have i stated on this blog that the appointment of someome into office in Belize is based on nepotism and not qualifications.
Wow the ignorance of some of the people that are placing racist comments and stating the 50% of the popultion (refering to latinos) are LOVING this. Seems alot of ignorant and uneducated people here jst comment to say fool. Majority of people here in the North that are Mestizos applaud the move by Zaldivar. Chimilion killed of football here in the North and took it back 10 years when power house teams like Juventus was winning 7 back to back champions which still hold the record and were beating international teams like Honduras, Guatemala and strong teams like Saprisa etc. Chimilion and his stoogies cut funding and backing of such great teams like Juventus and Verdes by playing these same racist cards as you ignorant guys are saying. We dont have to say Belice es Nuestro. Its for everyone. Not becuase you say Belize is Ours means its really urs. Its about time this dictator is removed and give Belize time to heal and regrown its talents. Sure it hurts for the current guys who did well in Monserrat. However, its better to sacrifice a few for the benefit of the future. Lets be realist we would still not make it to the world cup. Not with chimillio as the head of Fifa in belize. All he worries about is the DINERO. You guys should learn the history of football in Belize before commenting. You are all jst getting a taste of what was a problem long ago here in the North
bernal u know for a fact that bertiis is the PROBLEM
have u forgotten the damage that he did to your same brothers (Juventus) OF ORANGE WALK back in the 90S
bernal please tend to muffles,
ja ja c your stupid bro.