ZURICH (AP) — The Swiss government teamed up with FIFA on Thursday to donate 120,000 Swiss francs (about $149,000) to fund the construction of community soccer fields in the West Bank.
Switzerland-based FIFA said the funding from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was “to enable the construction of facilities and support broader, long-term efforts to restore access to football across the region.”
of FIFA statement He did not specify or speculate on how access to the soccer field was lost.
The field, known as the FIFA Arena, is “designed to be a safe and durable space for communities without access to sport,” the soccer body said. “The first two FIFA Arena mini-pitches will be combined with a dedicated training program for children, creating a safe play space that fosters inclusion and personal growth.”
Eight more will be installed in Israel and the Palestinian Territories as part of the global FIFA Arena project. According to FIFA, a total of 30 mini-fields have opened in 15 countries since March.
“FIFA expresses its deep gratitude to the Swiss Government for this important contribution and looks forward to continuing this common effort to restore, rebuild and bring hope, one ball at a time,” said President Gianni Infantino.
Infantino is World Summit on the Future of Gaza Last month in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. So he promised FIFA: “We will help rebuild all football facilities in Gaza and Palestine. We will bring football back to every corner of the country.”
FIFA is also investigating 2 formal complaints against Israeli football by the Palestinian Football Federation.
Last October, FIFA asked its disciplinary committee to investigate allegations of discrimination by the Israeli Football Federation. FIFA’s governing body has been asked to advise whether teams from Israeli settlements in the West Bank competing in national competitions are violating the governing body’s regulations.
No schedule has been set for the FIFA Committee to report. The next meeting of FIFA, which is made up of 211 member federations, is scheduled for April 30th in Vancouver, Canada.
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