August 11 – While FIFA’s Anti-discrimination task force seems to have been consigned to the backburner of projects the governing body doesn’t really know what to do about (not unlike the its former chair Jeffrey Webb who is under house arrest in the US), the Zurich mandarins have announced an awards ceremony to cover what is still one of the most contentious issues in world football.
The Diversity Award is actually one of the recommendations made by the FIFA Task Force Against Racism and Discrimination.
The first-ever FIFA Diversity Award will, according to FIFA, highlight “the importance of the fight against exclusion and discrimination, and will recognise an outstanding organisation, group initiative or football personality that is standing up for diversity and anti-discrimination in football. Through this symbolic recognition and honour, FIFA hopes to inspire others around the world to take up the cause.”
Let’s hope this symbolism isn’t tokenism.
An 11 person jury – the ‘11 for Diversity’ – will decide the winner. This jury members include former Dutch international Clarence Seedorf; FIFA Women’s World Cup winner Abby Wambach; former captain of the German national team Thomas Hitzlsperger; FIFA Council members Moya Dodd and Constant Omari; anti-apartheid activist and founder of Global Watch Tokyo Sexwale; Managing Director of the Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE) Joyce Cook; Executive Director of Fare (Football Against Racism in Europe) Piara Powar; one of the Fa’afafine or “third gender” people specific to Samoan culture, Jaiyah Saelua; the first African-born black player to represent Germany, Gerald Asamoah; and President of the Mexican National Council for the Prevention of Discrimination (CONAPRED) Alexandra Haas Paciuc.
The award will be presented at the Soccerex Convention on September 26 in Manchester by FIFA general secretary Fatma Samoura.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734962464labto1734962464ofdlr1734962464owedi1734962464sni@n1734962464osloh1734962464cin.l1734962464uap1734962464