Football flashes
Botrous Ghali to head Egypt 2010 delegation
FIFA President Joseph Sepp Blatter and his deputy Mohamed Bin Hammam sent a message earlier this week to President Hosni Mubarak thanking him for the Egyptians' hospitality during their visit to the country at the end of last month.
In other 2010-related news, following his visit to Egypt last week, Chuck Blazer, member of the FIFA executive committee, stressed that Egypt is virtually ready to host the 2010 World Cup.
"I felt the [Egyptian] people and government's enthusiasm to host the event through the banners [spreading around the country] that read 'Trust us.. and you will get a historic world cup," he said. Blazer added that "there is a big difference between Egypt I visited during the Under-17 World Cup in 1997 and Egypt today."
He spoke of the comprehensive development he saw in airports, roads, bridges and communications. Blazer was also captivated by the nation's rich culture and history. The Pyramids and the monuments of Luxor were just a few of the ancient relics which had captured his awe.
"One of the main advantages the audience will enjoy if Egypt hosted the 2010 World Cup is that it will be an event for all the members of the family. They will find all sorts of entertainment and recreation."
On the other side of the 2010 table, the Egyptian bid committee has confirmed the members of the delegation who will travel to Zurich on 14 May to display the final bid and attend the vote announcement the following day. It has been decided that Botrous Botrous-Ghali, former secretary-general of the United Nations, will head the 15-member delegation that will consist mainly of Minister of Youth Alieddin Hilal, renowned movie star Omar Sharif, Hisham Azmi, coordinator of the bid file, and Essam Abdel-Mon'em, head of the Egyptian Football Association.
Egyptian named to FIFA Women's All-Star Team
THE INTERNATIONAL Football Federation (IFF) has named its All-Star team to take on Women's World Cup champion Germany, with one Egyptian making it into the exclusive selection.
The match is being played in celebration of the centennial year of the world football governing body FIFA and is comprised of players whose presence transcends national boundaries.
FIFA's all-star selection will have 18 of the world's top female football players, with representatives coming from each of the six continental confederations.
Egypt's star recruit is defender Marwa El- Hawat Ibrahim, a 20-year-old physical education student. Other Africans who were invited: US-based Nigeria striker Mercy Akide and Algeria midfielder Naima Al-Awadi. Ghana's goalkeeper Memunatu Sulemana also joined the squad.
The team will be headed by Swedish coach Marika Domanski Lyfors, with her French counterpart, Elisabeth Loisel, managing the team.
The women's match precedes an encounter between reigning men's World Champions Brazil and France, the reigning European Champions.
International support for Egypt 2010 Bid File
A DELEGATION from Ukraine and Albania visited the headquarters of Egypt 2010 Bid File Committee, attending a presentation of the bid file submitted to FIFA last September.
Members of the delegation praised the file that includes information about Egypt's infrastructure. In its effort to bring the World Cup to Egypt in 2010, the nation is already well underway in its construction and preparations -- putting even this year's Olympic host, Athens, to shame.
The visitors are in Egypt to partake in two locally hosted courses for security cadres from the Ukraine in the field of public security, as well as security cadres from Albania in the field of security leadership skills development.
The Senegalese delegation, which included members of Senegal Arab Peace Club, is currently touring Egypt to take in its historic and cultural richness.
The delegation's visit to the 2010 Bid File Committee, where media representative Ihab Shalabi greeted them, confirmed their standing on the 2010 campaign.
"Egypt is the worthiest country to organise the 2010 FIFA World Cup," they said as they left the headquarters.
Blatter gives Gaddafi 2010 cold shoulder
FIFA President Sepp Blatter reiterated his objection to Africa's joint-hosting of the World Cup in 2010 on Thursday and has even told Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi that the idea is a non-starter.
"I officially told Muammar Gaddafi during my recent visit that there will not be a co- hosting," Blatter, who was visiting Morocco in the run-up to the vote on the hosts of the tournament in 2010, told the press.
The event has already been promised to Africa with either Morocco or South Africa expected to be given the nod despite bids from Tunisia and Libya, who had hoped to jointly organise the World Cup, and Egypt. FIFA will announce the winner on 15 May.
Blatter refused to comment directly on the chances of Morocco winning the race. "I have strict and total neutrality," Blatter said. "But the candidacy of Morocco is in good hands. The country had put in a great effort not only in terms of its desire to stage the 2010 World Cup but also in a programme of general development which includes roads, stadiums and communications. All I can say is that the 2010 World Cup will take place in Africa, a rotation for which I fought to obtain."
In the stretch to the finish line, the two main contenders appear to be South Africa, the political favourite given its loss to Germany in the 2006 bid, and Egypt.
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/686/sp8.htm