FIFA president to attend Concacaf congress

CASTRIES (CMC):

FIFA PRESIDENT Gianni Infantino will be among several high-profile football officials in St Lucia this weekend to attend the 40th Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) Congress.

More than 250 delegates will be present for the event which serves as the annual general meeting for the region’s governing body for football.

Minister of Youth Development and Sports, Kenson Casimir said it was a major sporting accomplishment for St Lucia.

“For an island as small as St Lucia to be in a position and have the wherewithal to host a Concacaf Congress, it speaks volumes about our social and economic position in the region.

“It means that we have all the dynamics that a global entity like Concacaf requires to host all the delegates,” Casimir said.

“It means that we have the hotels. It means that we have the conference space. It means that we have the logistics on the ground. It means that we are in a fundamental economic position to host them successfully as a Ministry of Economic Development, and it means that St Lucia is putting the rest of the world on notice that when it comes to sports development, the rest of the world could look to St Lucia to host significant events such as this.”

The St Lucia Football Association (SLFA), in collaboration with local agencies, has been instrumental in organising this congress.

Recent initiatives, such as the launch of the inaugural Semi-Professional Football League (SPFL), highlight the nation’s commitment to advancing football.

Casimir revealed that football administrators will benefit from the opportunity to engage in discussions with Concacaf officials regarding the development of the SPFL, particularly in terms of logistics.