体坛英语新闻：FIFA suspends Sudan football association's elections for six months

KHARTOUM, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The world football governing body FIFA on Saturday suspended the elections of Sudan Football Association (SFA), which were scheduled to be conducted Sunday.

"Today we have received a letter from FIFA on delaying the elections for six months. A fact-finding delegation from FIFA will arrive after a month to get acquainted with the statute of the SFA," Mohamed Sid Ahmed, an official of SFA, said in a statement Saturday.

"The FIFA based its decision on a letter from SFA and what it has monitored of a political and security intervention, besides a tape from a TV program showing a candidate for SFA chairmanship admitting that he was candidate from the President of the Republic and the State," he added.

The FIFA's letter stated that the SFA would be suspended if the elections failed to be conducted next April 30 according to FIFA regulations and laws.

In 2010 the FIFA re-conducted the SFA elections because of intervention of government authorities.

The SFA was established in 1936, where it joined the FIFA in 1948 and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 1957.

National football associations enjoy the protection of FIFA which prevents government interventions in sports affairs.