ANOC President Visits Cuba En Route to FIFA Congress

(ATR) Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah spent two days in Havana, Cuba to meet with sports leaders in the country.

On Sunday, Sheikh Ahmad met with the president of the Cuban Olympic Committee José Ramón Fernández Alvarez, Cuban sports minister Antonio Becali, global ambassador for the World Baseball Softball Confederation Antonio Castro as well as all of the presidents of Cuba's national federations at Estadio Latinoamericano. Sheikh Ahmad and the federation leaders talked preparations for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

"Cuba is a country with a very rich sporting heritage and has produced many sporting champions," said Sheikh Ahmad. "The country is undergoing a period of change at the moment and the progress it is making in developing its relationships within the international community truly reflects the Olympic spirit."

The visit came as surprise to state media that was not alerted of the Sheikh’s travel plans prior to his arrival Sunday. Sheikh Ahmad toured the IOC-recognized anti-doping laboratory on the island before traveling to the stadium.

The first visit by the Sheikh to Cuba follows another historic visit by United States President Barack Obama on March 22. President Obama attended an exhibition baseball game between the Cuban national team and the Tampa Bay Rays from Major League Baseball.

As a member of the FIFA executive council, Sheikh Ahmad made the stop while on the way to the 66th FIFA Congress set to take place in Mexico City on May 12-13. The FIFA Congress marks the first under the leadership of Gianni Infantino and the extensive reforms both voted in at an extraordinary congress on Feb. 26.

"Following the approval of the revised statutes, the FIFA Congress is a key milestone in our commitment to put the reforms into action and lead FIFA and football forward," said FIFA president Gianni Infantino. "After going through some uneasy times, I truly believe that the organization is on the verge of an exciting new era and that we can unite to work towards our common goal of developing football across the globe and at all levels."

One challenge facing world football also affects Sheikh Ahmad as the chief of the Olympic Council of Asia which houses the Kuwait Olympic Committee. In October 2015, FIFA suspended the Kuwait Football Association for government interference in the management of the FA. The IOC suspended the NOC two weeks later when new sports laws were introduced in the country that did not resolve the situation.

FIFA chose to postpone its decision on Kuwait’s reinstatement during the extraordinary congress in February. The decision prevented the country from participating in the presidential election as well as the vote on the reform package. FIFA secretary general Markus Kattner said the decision would be made at the FIFA Congress in May.

As a native of Kuwait, Sheikh Ahmad was sued by the KOC in January and also given a six-month prison sentence for helping issue the IOC ban. The sport court in Kuwait dropped the charges against the Sheikh. Following Sheikh Ahmad's visit to Cuba, he says he is happy the country's government and sports organizations work together.

"I am very pleased to see there is good cooperation between the sports movement and the government which helps ensure a positive environment for the athletes," Sheikh Ahmad said. "Sport can play a key role not just in Cuba but in countries throughout the world in helping them build a brighter and more harmonious future."

If the Kuwait suspension is upheld by FIFA and the IOC, athletes wishing to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympics must compete under the Olympic flag and not Kuwait's.

Written by Kevin Nutley

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