FAM president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah witnessed a RM1 million sponsorship presentation by Felda to the Asean Football Federation Buy FIFA Coins yesterday. Malaysia are drawn with Philippines, Laos and Myanmar in Group B while invitational side Felda have Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam for company in Group A.FIFA opens talks on 2022 World Cup dates in Qatar | New Straits Times | Malaysia General Business Sports and Lifestyle News
TOKYO: Japanese club Yokohama F-Marinos were hit with a US$48,000 fine by the J-League on Friday after a supporter racially abused a black player during a game last weekend.The J-League denied that the punishment was more lenient than had been expected, telling AFP they had taken into consideration the fact it has been Yokohama’s “first offence.”A video showing a Yokohama fan waving a banana at Kawasaki Frontale’s Brazilian striker Renato lit up social media last Saturday, causing embarrassment to the club and the J-League, where racial taunting is relatively rare.
Yokohama did promptly identify the culprit and banned him for life, but J-League chairman Mitsuru Murai said: “The club dealt with the case appropriately but we did not feel they were doing enough to raise awareness (of racism), as is their responsibility.”The J-League had been expected to come down heavily on Yokohama after fans and players alike expressed their anger at the incident, with former Japan defender Yuji Nakazawa, who plays for F-Marinos, slamming the racist abuse as “pathetic.”
Yokohama appear to have escaped lightly, despite strong remarks made by Murai condemning the incident and describing it as a major blow in their fight to weed out discrimination in the J-League.Earlier this year, Urawa Reds were ordered to Cheap FUT Coins play a J-League game behind closed doors after fans unfurled a banner reading “Japanese only” over one of the stadium entrances.The Reds, Japan’s best-supported team, were also fined five million yen (US$48,000) in 2010 following racial abuse of foreign players.