Sports / Soccer |
Bolivian boss attacks FIFA altitude decision(Reuters)Updated: 2007-06-28 08:33 SAN CRISTOBAL, Venezuela, June 27 - Bolivia's soccer federation said on Wednesday FIFA had not gone far enough in relaxing a ban on high-altitude matches because it meant the nation's capital city of La Paz was still off limits. FIFA, world soccer's governing body, said earlier it had decided to ease a ruling made last month and would allow international matches to be played at altitudes of up to 3,000 metres (9,800 feet) instead of 2,500 metres (8,200 feet). "This decision ... is a form of discrimination against countries that have high altitudes," Bolivian soccer federation president Carlos Chavez told a news conference in the Venezuelan city of Sdan Cristobal, where Bolivia are taking part in the Copa America. "I'll say it again: it's for Bolivians to decide where our international stadium is." The Andean city of La Paz is 3,600 metres (11,800 feet) above sea level and oxygen levels are considerably lower than at sea level. The South American football confederation, which has three members on the FIFA executive, disagreed with the ban following its own meeting earlier this month. Bolivian President Evo Morales is due to meet FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Thursday at FIFA's Zurich headquarters to protest against the ban, and the government in La Paz condemned the new ruling on the eve of his visit. Government minister Juan Ramon Quintana told a news conference the measure was "unjust and discriminatory" and called for renewed efforts to fight it. Earlier on Wednesday, Blatter told a news conference in Zurich: "We have spoken again to our medical commission who told us there is a margin concerning the medical issues and that with a specific tolerance limit we could go up to under 3,000 metres." FIFA's original decision to prevent internationals being played at 2,500 metres and above led to widespread protests in several South American countries, including Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. The revised ruling means Quito (2,800 metres) and Bogota (2,600 metres), the capitals of Ecuador and Colombia, can stage matches. Blatter said FIFA would host a medical conference on sport in extreme conditions in October, which would look not only at the issue of high altitude but also those of heat, cold and humidity.
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