International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry has\nspoken out regarding FIFA President Gianni Infantino\u2019s involvement in\nthe launch of the Board of Peace, an initiative spearheaded by United\nStates President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
Coventry affirmed that the IOC would \u201cinvestigate\u201d Infantino\u2019s\nactions, given that all IOC members are bound by oath to act\nindependently of political interests. Both Infantino and Coventry are\namong the 107 IOC members obligated to uphold the principle of political\nneutrality.<\/p>\n
Trump held the Board of Peace launch event in Washington DC on\nThursday local time. During the event, Infantino attended and signed a\npartnership on behalf of FIFA, potentially channelling up to US$75\nmillion towards football projects in Gaza.<\/p>\n
Infantino\u2019s presence at the event immediately drew scrutiny. In\nrecent years, FIFA has been perceived as growing increasingly close to\nthe US government. In the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup, Infantino has\nattended Trump\u2019s inauguration, made several visits to the White House,\nand travelled to Mar-a-Lago.<\/p>\n
The United States is set to co-host the 2026 World Cup alongside\nCanada and Mexico, with the tournament featuring a 104-match format\nbeginning on 11 June.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Olympic Charter is very clear about what is expected of its\nmembers. We will examine the alleged signing of that document,\u201d Coventry\nsaid at her final press conference at the Milan-Cortina Winter\nOlympics.<\/p>\n
Coventry admitted she was initially unaware that Infantino had\nfeatured prominently in the Board of Peace event. \u201cNow that media\ncolleagues have brought this to our attention, we will look into it\nfurther,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The IOC itself counts members from diverse backgrounds, including the\nEmir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and Saudi Arabia\u2019s\nAmbassador to the United States, Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is also represented in IOC membership through Erick Thohir,\nwho currently serves as Minister of Youth and Sports. The IOC had\npreviously reprimanded Indonesia over its stance rejecting the\nparticipation of Israeli athletes at the Gymnastics World\nChampionships.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Coventry herself has a political background. She\npreviously served as sports minister in Zimbabwe before being elected\nlast March as the first female president in the IOC\u2019s history.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fifa-presidents-actions-trigger-ethics-alarm-as-ioc-intervenes-1771687202", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }