UEFA was yesterday to decide whether to admit Kosovo as a full member, while French and Norwegian candidates were in contention to become the first woman voted onto the governing body’s executive committee.
Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, is allowed by world soccer’s governing body FIFA to only play friendly internationals.
If granted membership by the UEFA annual congress in Budapest, FIFA would vote on Kosovo’s membership at its congress on May 13.
Kosovo hopes FIFA approval would allow it to get a late place in European qualifying groups for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Kosovo would become the 55th member of the European body and with further approval from UEFA’s executive, could take part in the UEFA Champions League and qualifying for the 2020 European Championship finals.
Kosovo was the center of a bitter war between ethnic-Albanian and Serbian forces in 1998-1999.
Serbia has sought to prevent Kosovo gaining international recognition, but in sport, it has secured membership of a host of world bodies, including athletics and gymnastics.
That campaign for recognition built a groundswell of support, so it is to make its Olympic debut at the Rio de Janeiro Games in August.
Karen Espelund, a former Norway international, who is already a co-opted member of the UEFA executive, is up against French Football Federation general director Florence Hardouin in the landmark vote for a woman’s place on the executive committee.
Both say the vote would be a key step in changing soccer’s administration in its most powerful regional confederation. Disgraced UEFA president Michel Platini cannot attend the congress because of a six-year ban imposed by FIFA over a suspect US$2 million payment authorized by banned FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Platini has made a final appeal against the ban to the Court of Arbitration, but no decision is expected before May 9.
The ban means the Frenchman cannot attend the European Championship finals in his homeland in June and July.
If his appeal is turned down, UEFA could organize an emergency congress to elect a new president before Euro 2016 starts on June 10.
The UEFA executive committee met on Monday and “received a positive update on the successful preparations for UEFA EURO 2016,” said a statement released after the meeting.
The committee “expressed its confidence in the measures put in place to stage a safe and festive tournament for all involved,” the statement added.
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen has become the first female player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the third and final round of the league’s draft on Monday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship earlier this month. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament’s most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen (陳凱玲) has become the first player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after being selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the third and final round of the league's draft yesterday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship on April 6. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament's most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as a
Japan yesterday secured a second consecutive Billie Jean King Cup finals appearance with a 2-1 win over 2023 champions Canada, thanks to Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama’s 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 win over Kayla Cross and Rebecca Marino in the qualifying doubles decider. Shibahara and Aoyama powered through the opening set 6-3, breaking twice for a quick 3-0 lead. Cross and Marino hit back in the second, edging it 7-5 to level the match, before the Japanese pair regained control in the third. Canada’s 18-year-old Victoria Mboko edged Shibahara 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 7-5 in a marathon opening clash. Mboko fired eight aces to
DAY OF BLOWOUTS: Elsewhere, the Lakers clinched the third seed in the Western Conference with a 140-109 pounding of the under-strength Houston Rockets The Denver Nuggets on Friday improved their playoff position, with a triple double from Nikola Jokic helping them to a 117-109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Serbian put up 26 points, 13 assists and 16 rebounds. The triple-double performance, his 34th this season, ensured that he will finish the regular season as just the third NBA player to average a triple double across an entire season. The win meant the Nuggets improved to 49-32 on the season and gave them a real chance of grabbing fourth place and home-court advantage in the playoffs. Aaron Gordon top scored with 33 points for Denver,
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