Warner receives FIFA Order of Merit

PARIS: Trinidadian Jack Austin Warner, president of CONCACAF, was among seven FIFA founder members to receive the FIFA Centennial Order of Merit. Also getting the award were Asian Football Confederation secretary Peter Velappan, Confederation of African Football secretary Mourad Fahmy (posthumous), CONMEBO president Nicolas Leoz, Oceania Football Confederation former president, now honorary president Charles Dempsey and UEFA president Lennart Johansson.

The awards were handed out on Friday as FIFA celebrated one hundred years to the day, May 21, 1904 since FIFA was founded, with representatives of 203 of 204 member associations present on the second day of FIFA’s Centennial Congress. At the start of the day’s proceedings, FIFA president Joseph Sepp Blatter honouring FIFA’s seven founding members — Belgium, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. In the presence of French Minister of Sport Jean-Franois Lamour, Swiss Federal president Joseph Deiss, IOC president Dr Jacques Rogge and WADA chairman Richard Pound, the FIFA president then called upon football to help make the world a better place and to make a contribution to peace.

Only the Yemen Football Association was not present at FIFA’s birthday celebrations. The FIFA president also pledged that in the future, there would be an annual World Football Day, with the spotlight falling upon fair play and other social messages such as the fight against discrimination. IOC boss Dr Rogge praised FIFA for their contribution to the fight against violence, corruption and racism and also thanked world football’s governing body for its efforts in the fight against doping.

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"Warner receives FIFA Order of Merit"

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