Dhaka, July 7 (BDNEWS) – Sri Lanka, Thailand and Maldives got a grant of $2.8 million from International Football Federation (FIFA) for football infrastructure reconstruction.
The FIFA Tsunami Task Force met in Frankfurt recently with committee chairman and AFC president Mohamed Bin Hammam in the chair allocated payments amounting to approximately USD 2.8 million from the joint FIFA/AFC Tsunami Solidarity Fund for football infrastructure reconstruction in associations affected by the tsunami that struck the region in December 2004.
Sri Lanka will get the highest $ 1.95 million for 13 projects in regional associations, each tailor-made to its specific needs, according to message sent to BDNEWS Thursday.
Thailand has been allocated $ 448,701 for building the Tsunami Memorial Football Centre, reconstruction of a grass-pitch and football equipment.
Maldives will be benefited with $ 441,509 for repair and replacement of damaged equipment at the football association's headquarters and training centre, reconstruction of an artificial pitch and two football facilities.
In a true reflection of FIFA's principles of transparency and solidarity, 100% of funds donated to the joint FIFA/AFC Tsunami Solidarity Fund will be spent exclusively on programming, direct aid or reconstruction projects, as it is the administration's standing policy that overhead costs for the fund will be borne directly by FIFA.
The joint FIFA/AFC Tsunami Solidarity Fund was launched with the immediate payments of $ 2 million and $ 1 million from FIFA and the AFC respectively.
The fund has now reached the sum of $ 10.5 million. Of the amount committed to the joint FIFA/AFC Tsunami Solidarity Fund, $ 7.6 million was allocated to special projects at the inaugural meeting of the Task Force on 20 April 2005.
BDNEWS/1719 hrs
