FIFA and UEFA to hold tsunami fund match
Saturday, 8 January 2005 12:47Soccer's world and European governing bodies, FIFA and UEFA, are to organise a "solidarity match" in February to help victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami.
FIFA said: "FIFA and UEFA, which has also pledged aid to the FIFA/AFC Tsunami Solidarity Fund, have decided to organise a solidarity match on a grand scale in a major European stadium in February."
FIFA said the joint solidarity fund it had set up with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has already received several donations, adding that what it called the "football family's solidarity endeavours" are multiplying fast.
FIFA has already pledged $2 million for the fund and the AFC another $1 million to restore footballing infrastructure in the devastated region and to donate football equipment (balls, shirts, boots, goals etc) to the associations or their members.
"Several associations, notably Australia, England, Germany, Greece, India, Malaysia, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Turkey, have expressed a wish to arrange charity matches with a view to donating the revenue to the solidarity fund," FIFA added.
The December 26 tidal waves triggered by an earthquake killed more than 153,000 people and have left more than a million others injured and homeless in the 13 nations affected across South and Southeast Asia.
