FIFA yesterday said it would send a delegation to investigate the struggle for control over Taiwanese soccer, which has intensified in recent weeks with opposing accusations.
The Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) was scheduled to hold an election for its executive committee, governing board members and chairperson on Saturday.
However, two rival groups made public accusations of forgery, underhanded tactics to force disqualification and other illegal actions, in addition to behind-the-scenes maneuvering to win support from politicians.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
FIFA sent an official letter “to suggest postponing the CTFA election,” after the rival groups detailed their accusations to FIFA and the AFC, the CTFA said in a statement.
According to reports, FIFA and the AFC are to send a delegation in the coming days to investigate the groups’ allegations.
One of the groups is headed by incumbent CTFA chairman Lin Yung-cheng and Changhua County sports official Chang Chih-tung, while the other is headed by former CTFA chairman Chiu Yi-jen, a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) stalwart, CTFA vice chairman Kung Yuan-kao and Kaohsiung Football Association chairwoman and DPP Legislator Liu Shih-fang.
Kung and Liu yesterday held a news conference to announce the letter from FIFA, in which it requested that the CTFA “temporarily halt all electoral proceedings related to its executive committee” and urged the Sports Administration to investigate.
“FIFA does not take this matter lightly and will not just listen to one side. We have filed complaints with them and FIFA agreed with us. It requested that the CTFA provide an explanation and halt the upcoming election,” Kung said.
“The CTFA had wanted to go ahead with the election, but FIFA officials disagreed and the matter will be investigated,” Kung said. “If they find more wrongdoing, then the CTFA might receive more a severe punishment from FIFA.”
The fight has divided local fans and netizens, with some accusing the group headed by Chiu Yi-jen as being DPP politicians trying to interfere in soccer, saying they are mostly “soccer’s elderly generation” who have mismanaged the CTFA in the past.
However, other fans pointed to questionable aspects of the group headed by Lin, who has a checkered past in business, has encountered some controversies in the past few years and has been accused of holding back soccer development.
Meanwhile, others said the struggle reflects the green-blue divide in Taiwanese politics, as some key figures in Lin’s faction reportedly have ties to the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and big corporate interests.
The fight was made public on Feb. 27, when the CTFA’s election committee — with Lin’s backing — moved to disqualify Chiu Yi-jen and his supporters from Saturday’s election.
Both groups then sought support from legislators and top government officials, and mounted a publicity campaign to denounce the other side and seek action from FIFA and the AFC.
In other news, Taiwan’s Hang Yuen were trashed 5-1 by 4.25 SC of North Korea yesterday in the AFC Cup Group I qualifying round at Fu Jen Catholic University in New Taipei City.
It was Hang Yuen’s second loss, making their prospects for advancement bleak after losing 3-2 to Benfica de Macau in their opener last week in Macau.
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