Courtesy: Bangkok Post


Govt will invite Obama to futsal final

12/11/2012

The government will invite US President Barack Obama to the final match of the 2012 Futsal World Cup next Sunday during his visit to Thailand.

Mr Obama is scheduled to arrive in Bangkok on the day of the final. His trip is meant to strengthen US-Thai relations and to discuss trade and investment between the two countries, according to government spokesman Thossaporn Sereerak.

The championship match will be played at the Hua Mak Indoor Stadium.

Mr Obama will also be invited to the Futsal World Cup closing ceremony afterwards, he added.

It would be an honour to have one of the world's most influential leaders as a guest, Mr Thossaporn said.

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said the party has looked into the construction of the Bangkok Futsal Arena in Nong Chok district by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

Mr Prompong said the party will submit a petition today to the Office of the Auditor-General to launch a formal investigation into the spending of about 1.2 billion baht on the arena. Fifa declined to use the arena for the Futsal World Cup, citing safety concerns.

Several irregularities were found by the probe, Mr Prompong said.

He questioned why Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva allowed the BMA to handle the arena's construction instead of the Tourism and Sports Ministry.

Pheu Thai also plans to petition the National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the matter, he said.

Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut accused the government of using the stadium issue as an attempt to discredit the BMA.

The government allocated only 1 million baht to the BMA in the 2012 fiscal year for the arena, leaving City Hall to come up with the rest of the 1.2 billion baht needed to construct the facility, Mr Chavanond added.






Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com