Bahamas Football Association
Encyclopedia
The Bahamas Football Association is the official football
federation
in The Bahamas
. It was founded in 1967 for men, women, and children to learn more about football. It affiliated with FIFA
in 1968 and CONCACAF
in 1981. The headquarters are in Nassau
. The federation is also in charge of its football clubs and the Bahamanian national team
. They control the New Providence Football League
's divisions 1 & 2. They are also in charge of the Grand Bahama Football League
for both men and women. The BFA is led by (President) Mr. Anton Sealey and the board of executives. The headquarters is managed by Mr. Lionel Haven (General Secretary), with the Technical Department being directed by Mr. Neider Dos Santos
(Technical Director).
The BFA is seen as a flagship developing Association for FIFA. There are many players receiving scholarships in the USA at Division 1 universities. There are also several Bahamian soccer players playing and getting opportunities with Professional clubs in Europe. The BFA competes at all FIFA age groups and genders. The BFA Coaching & Education Scheme offers D,C,B, & A National Coaching License's and continuous seminars and clinics for the development of local coaches and administrators.
in Zurich
, Switzerland
, as such, he was unable to attended a meeting in the Hyatt Regency hotel, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
organised by Asian Football Confederation
President and FIFA
President candidate Mohammed bin Hammam
and CONCACAF
President and FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner.
Bahamas FA's Vice President, Fred Lunn, attended the meeting, there Lunn was given brown envelope with the word "Bahamas" on it, containing $40,000 USD. Believing it to be a bribe in a cash-for-votes scandal, funded by bin Hammam, Lunn reported the incident to Sealey who in turn reported it to CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer
. Lunn took a photograph of the money and the envelope before returning them. He later gave journalists a digital copy of the photograph for publication.
As a result FIFA suspended both Warner and bin Hammam and launched an investigation.
Bahamas-based newspaper The Tribune praised Sealey and Lunn for not accepting the loan: "The attempted bribe was an insult to the whole Caribbean. Those seeking the Caribbean Football Federation's vote obviously saw its members as coming from poor island nations who would never have seen so much money as fell from the brown envelope that was offered them. Many proved to their tempters that poor they might be, but they had pride, they had integrity and although they might never see so much money again, under such tainted conditions they would never stoop so low as to pick it up. As was pointed out, $40,000 for the Caribbean's smaller islands would be the equivalent of several years' salary."
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
federation
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
in The Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
. It was founded in 1967 for men, women, and children to learn more about football. It affiliated with FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
in 1968 and CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
in 1981. The headquarters are in Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
. The federation is also in charge of its football clubs and the Bahamanian national team
Bahamas national football team
The Bahamas national football team is the national team of the Bahamas and is controlled by the Bahamas Football Association.-World Cup record:*1930 to 1994 – Did not enter*1998 – Withdrew*2002 to 2010 – Did not qualify*2014 – Withdrew...
. They control the New Providence Football League
New Providence Football League
The New Providence Football League is the highest form of football on the island of New Providence.There are also women's leagues in New Providence and Grand Bahama.After a season's gap, the WFL was formed in New Providence in 2006...
's divisions 1 & 2. They are also in charge of the Grand Bahama Football League
Grand Bahama Football League
The Grand Bahama Football League is the highest form of association football on the Bahamian island of Grand Bahama. The league is divided into two divisions, the men's league and the woman's league. The men's league with 7 teams and the woman's league with 4 teams...
for both men and women. The BFA is led by (President) Mr. Anton Sealey and the board of executives. The headquarters is managed by Mr. Lionel Haven (General Secretary), with the Technical Department being directed by Mr. Neider Dos Santos
Neider dos Santos
Neider dos Santos is a Brazilian football coach who is currently the manager of Jamaican club side Village United. He has previously managed Simba SC in Tanzania, as well as the youth teams of Brazilian clubs Vasco da Gama and Botafogo, plus the national teams of Cayman Islands and Guyana...
(Technical Director).
The BFA is seen as a flagship developing Association for FIFA. There are many players receiving scholarships in the USA at Division 1 universities. There are also several Bahamian soccer players playing and getting opportunities with Professional clubs in Europe. The BFA competes at all FIFA age groups and genders. The BFA Coaching & Education Scheme offers D,C,B, & A National Coaching License's and continuous seminars and clinics for the development of local coaches and administrators.
Cash-for-votes scandal whistle blowers
On 10 May 2011, Anton Sealey, the President of the Bahamas Football Association was attending an event in the run-up to the 61st FIFA Congress61st FIFA Congress
The 61st FIFA Congress was held between 31 May and 1 June 2011 at the Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland. FIFA is the governing body of world association football, and the congress is the annual meeting of FIFA's supreme legislative body. This is the eighth congress to be held in Zurich, and the...
in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, as such, he was unable to attended a meeting in the Hyatt Regency hotel, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
organised by Asian Football Confederation
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
President and FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
President candidate Mohammed bin Hammam
Mohammed Bin Hammam
Mohamed bin Hammam is a Qatari who was formerly a football administrator and president of the Asian Football Confederation from 1 August 2002 to 14 June 2011, and a member of FIFA's 24-man executive committee from 1996 to 2011 for more than 15 years...
and CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
President and FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner.
Bahamas FA's Vice President, Fred Lunn, attended the meeting, there Lunn was given brown envelope with the word "Bahamas" on it, containing $40,000 USD. Believing it to be a bribe in a cash-for-votes scandal, funded by bin Hammam, Lunn reported the incident to Sealey who in turn reported it to CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer
Chuck Blazer
Charles "Chuck" Blazer is an American soccer administrator.He has been a member of the FIFA Executive Committee since 1996, and served as Commissioner of the American Soccer League and Executive Vice President of the United States Soccer Federation...
. Lunn took a photograph of the money and the envelope before returning them. He later gave journalists a digital copy of the photograph for publication.
As a result FIFA suspended both Warner and bin Hammam and launched an investigation.
Bahamas-based newspaper The Tribune praised Sealey and Lunn for not accepting the loan: "The attempted bribe was an insult to the whole Caribbean. Those seeking the Caribbean Football Federation's vote obviously saw its members as coming from poor island nations who would never have seen so much money as fell from the brown envelope that was offered them. Many proved to their tempters that poor they might be, but they had pride, they had integrity and although they might never see so much money again, under such tainted conditions they would never stoop so low as to pick it up. As was pointed out, $40,000 for the Caribbean's smaller islands would be the equivalent of several years' salary."
External links
- Official site
- Bahamas at FIFA site