CUP SPONSORS SNUB ‘CORRUPT’ FIFA
NEW YORK : FIFA, the global governing body for football, ordinarily enjoys huge revenue streams — in the hundreds of millions of dollars — from sponsorship deals attached to the world’s mostwatched sporting event, the World Cup. But less than a year before the next edition of the tournament, the organisation is having trouble finding companies willing to be a partner.
The sport is more popular than ever. What is different this time is FIFA’S reputation. Before Friday’s draw at Kremlin, along with a trial in a New York courtroom further battering its reputation, FIFA could be facing a significant financial shortfall.
Six months before the final draw for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, FIFA declared its sponsorship programme — which after television rights is the organisation’s most important revenue generator — “sold out.” This year, while FIFA has refilled its ranks of top-tier partners with firms in Russia, Qatar and China, only one of the 20 slots available to regional tournament sponsors has been claimed. In fact, one has to go back to 2011 to find the last new partner based in either Europe or the US — a one-tournament deal signed by Johnson & Johnson. That geographic spread tells its own story, according to Patrick Nally, a sports sponsorship executive who helped set up FIFA’S first international marketing programme four decades ago. “It’s not surprising it’s been and still is a toxic brand,” Nally said. “Unless you are from China or somewhere like that, where the fact FIFA is in court in New York and associated with corruption doesn’t matter, no corporation is going to consider it safe to get involved with FIFA.” FIFA did not respond to questions. In fact, Nally said, FIFA’S association with corrupt behaviour now runs so deep that he suggested the 113-year-old FIFA should consider a name change. “The word FIFA globally has got just the worst image in the world: If you are trying to sell the FIFA brand, if anything those four letters stand for corruption and it’s so unattractive.” MUMBAI : India will open their men’s hockey campaign at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, against arch-rivals Pakistan as they landed in a tough group for the preliminary round.
Placed in Pool B along with England, Pakistan, Malaysia and Wales, the India team will have to be on its toes from the first match itself as only two teams will qualify for the knockout semi-finals from the group.
The comparatively easier Pool A includes five-time winners Australia besides New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and Scotland.
The tournament will be held from April 4-15 and India play their opener on April 7.
“It is a tough pool but we are looking forward to the challenge. We are playing England and Australia here at the Hockey World League Final in Bhubaneswar, so this experience will help us in our preparations for the Commonwealth Games.
With the top two teams qualifying for semi-finals, the group stage will definitely witness close contests,” said Sjoerd Marijne, chief coach of the Indian men’s team.
Hockey was introduced in Commonwealth Games in 1998 at Kuala Lumpur and Australia have dominated the men’s section, winning the title on all five occasions. Pakistan, Malaysia and New Zealand have finished second once while India reached the final to win silver in the last two editions, at New Delhi and Glasgow. The Indian men’s team did not participate in the 2002 edition.
The Indian women’s team, which won gold in the 2002 edition, will face England, South Africa, Malaysia and Wales in Pool A.
Defending champions Australia, who have bagged gold medal in four of the five editions, are in Pool B which also features New Zealand, Scotland, Canada and Ghana.
India and England, who played an epic final in 2002 in Manchester, will meet on April 8, three days after the Asian team opens its campaign against Wales on the opening day of competition.
“I am happy with the grouping. I believe our team can challenge any team in the world. They are moving up in the world rankings and that encourages the athletes to get better and better. But it’s the Commonwealth Games and we can’t take any team lightly,” said women team’s chief coach, Harendra Singh.