Kuwaiti football hit by deep crisis

KUWAIT CITY - The Associated Press

South Korea’s Choi (R) fights for the ball with Kuwait’s Fahad Alenezi at a World Cup qualifier match in Seoul last month. AFP photo

The head of the Kuwait Football Federation has warned it may have to suspend the national team due to a lack of funds if it does not get a cash infusion from the government.

Sheik Talal al-Fahad plans to appeal to emir Sheik Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah for the additional funds, according to the Kuwait Times yesterday.

The emir provided 2 million dinars ($7.2 million) seven months ago but that is nearly spent, and the proposed federation budget is tied up in Parliament over a dispute related to the legality of the federation board.

The fiscal woes follow a difficult period for football in the Gulf nation. It failed last month to advance in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup and failed to qualify for the London Olympics.