Sources in Kuweit speculated that the Fifa executive committee, at the instigation of its member Sheikh Ahmad al Fahd, could take a decision to lift the ban imposed on Kuwaiti participation in FIFA (and IOC) sports activities for a period of three months to allow Kuwait to to amend its Sports Laws in conformity with FIFA regulations. Such a decision, if taken, would preclude the Fifa Mexico congress, scheduled on May 12 and 13, from voting on the original ban imposed since last October.
It should be noted that the Zurich October 2015 Fifa Congress had decided to « postpone » its decision, as required by FIFA laws, until the May 2016 congress. The provisional lifting of the ban for a period of three months would preclude any voting on the original ban until May 2017 at the earliest.
Such a manoeuvre, Sheikh Ahmad al Fahd hopes, would exonerate him from any responsibility in the ban against his country and put the blame on Kuwaiti authorities for the inevitable renewed ban three months later as Kuwait’s parliament and government have, already, indicated they had no intention to be blackmailed into amending their Sports under undue pressure.
It should be noted that keeping the ban needs the approval of 159 delegates while lifting the ban only requires 53 votes which Kuwaiti sports authorities claim they already have.
