Football Bid Bribery

Yesterday, I was at the Taman Indrahana Toastmasters meeting – as usual, it was as spirited as ever. And today, I attended the Deloitte KassimChan Toastmasters meeting. Initially I was a little apprehensive because meetings at this club were known to be blanketed in lethargic stupor. But today, with 13 people converging to Damansara Uptown, the meeting became engagingly engrossing. A lot of the credit must go to Meyyappa who organized this lavishly lively meeting. Also, Emil Anthony, the Toastmaster-of-the-Evening who provided the fireworks – he put the audience under an enticing spell of endearing enchantment. And of course, the effervescent General Evaluator (ahem, it was me!) who spiced things up with generous portions of energetic enthusiasm. Ruth (D’Utama Toastmasters) and Timothy and Michelle (Phoenix Toastmasters) were the other Toastmasters who heeded Meyyappa’s call to lend ungrudging support. I certainly enjoyed this meeting and I sincerely hope our collective presence helped to re-energize this club.

The Independent today reported that four members of the international football governing body sought "bribes" in return for backing England's failed 2018 World Cup bid, the former chairman of UK’s Football Association claimed yesterday.

Lord Triesman (left), giving evidence for the first time on the allegations to the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said representatives from Brazil, Paraguay, Trinidad and Thailand asked for favors in exchange for voting for England to get the football tournament – including one who wanted a knighthood.

The committee also heard that two more Fifa executive committee members were paid nearly £1 million to vote for Qatar's bid. The Conservative MP Damian Collins stated that evidence submitted by The Sunday Times claimed that the Fifa vice-president, Issa Hayatou, from Cameroon, and Jacques Anouma, from the Ivory Coast, were involved.

The latest developments mean eight Fifa executive committee members – one third of the total of 24 – have either been alleged to have been or already found guilty of impropriety in relation to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.

Of course, Fifa president Sepp Blatter demanded evidence of wrongdoing by committee members, and said he would act immediately if it was forthcoming. The problem is that these intimations were verbal – so it may not be possible to secure hard evidence. Besides, in Britain’s case, no money actually changed hands.

Isn’t this shameful? Shouldn’t the British government demand a re-vote because the country may have lost the bid to host the WC through crooked means? Blatter must not close an eye to this disgrace!