West Asian Football Federation Calls For Halting Israeli Violations Against Palestinian Sports

(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)

Amman, Sept. 27 (Petra) – The executive committee of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) on Saturday urged increased international pressure and immediate steps to stop ongoing Israeli violations in Gaza and Palestine, which have affected all aspects of life, including the sports sector.
At its 35th meeting, held in Amman under the chairmanship of HRH Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, members said Israel's systematic restrictions on Palestinian sports have brought activities in the occupied territories to a complete standstill. They cited the deliberate destruction of sports facilities in Gaza and the prevention of athletes from traveling and competing in regional and international tournaments, calling it a flagrant violation of international laws and conventions.
The committee stressed the need to unify international efforts, including by continental and global federations, to confront these discriminatory practices, protect the rights of Palestinian athletes, and ensure the resumption of sports as an integral part of Palestinian national and cultural identity.
It also called for the activation of legal and human rights mechanisms and for engaging with FIFA and UEFA to press them to take a clear and firm stance against the violations and hold those responsible to account.
The meeting was attended by WAFF First Vice President Jibril Rajoub, Second Vice President Sheikh Ali Al Khalifa, and members Lamia Al-Buhayan, Adnan Darjal, Mohsen Al-Masrouri, Samaan Douaihy, Hassan Bashanfar, Hisham Al-Zarouni, and Mohammed Al-Suwaidi.
The committee approved a report presented by WAFF Secretary-General Khalil Al-Salem on recent administrative activities and tournaments, along with details of a new system to be adopted for WAFF Under-23 competitions starting with the next edition. It also endorsed the secretary-general's report, the minutes of committee meetings, last year's financial statements, and the draft budget for the coming year.
The meeting discussed recommendations by a WAFF trilateral committee tasked with submitting proposals to the Asian Football Confederation, including the adoption of WAFF tournaments as qualifying events for continental finals. Members said the proposal would expand the competition base in regional tournaments.
The committee agreed to proceed with the proposal and seek consensus among West Asian federations, and then with other regional federations in Asia, before submitting the demands formally and comprehensively to the AFC.
The executive committee also reviewed a letter from the Yemeni Football Association regarding incidents at the 11th U-17 Championship, during which age verification tests were conducted.
WAFF affirmed that the decision to carry out such tests was intended to ensure fairness and equality among all teams, stressing its full commitment to impartiality with all member federations and its appreciation for the role of the Yemeni FA and others in supporting WAFF programs and tournaments.

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