Bolivia's soccer federation said on Wednesday FIFA had not gone
far enough in relaxing a ban on high-altitude matches because it
meant the nation's capital city of La Paz was still off limits.
FIFA, world soccer's governing body, said earlier it had decided
to ease a ruling made last month and would allow international
matches to be played at altitudes of up to 3,000 metres (9,800
feet) instead of 2,500 metres (8,200 feet).
"This decision ... is a form of discrimination against countries
that have high altitudes," Bolivian soccer federation president
Carlos Chavez told a news conference in the Venezuelan city of Sdan
Cristobal, where Bolivia are taking part in the Copa America.
"I'll say it again: it's for Bolivians to decide where our
international stadium is."
The Andean city of La Paz is 3,600 metres (11,800 feet) above
sea level and oxygen levels are considerably lower than at sea
level.
The South American football confederation, which has three
members on the FIFA executive, disagreed with the ban following its
own meeting earlier this month.
Bolivian President Evo Morales is due to meet FIFA president
Sepp Blatter on Thursday at FIFA's Zurich headquarters to protest
against the ban, and the government in La Paz condemned the new
ruling on the eve of his visit.
Government minister Juan Ramon Quintana told a news conference
the measure was "unjust and discriminatory" and called for renewed
efforts to fight it.
Earlier on Wednesday, Blatter told a news conference in Zurich:
"We have spoken again to our medical commission who told us there
is a margin concerning the medical issues and that with a specific
tolerance limit we could go up to under 3,000 metres."
FIFA's original decision to prevent internationals being played
at 2,500 metres and above led to widespread protests in several
South American countries, including Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and
Colombia.
The revised ruling means Quito (2,800 metres) and Bogota (2,600
metres), the capitals of Ecuador and Colombia, can stage
matches.
Blatter said FIFA would host a medical conference on sport in
extreme conditions in October, which would look not only at the
issue of high altitude but also those of heat, cold and
humidity.
(China Daily via Reuters June 28, 2007)