FIFA Head Sepp Blatter to visit Sri Lanka on 1 Dec.

Tuesday, 18 November 2014 00:43 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

FIFA President Sepp Blatter will arrive in Sri Lanka on 1 December for a 36-hour visit which will see him meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa, several members of the local football community and attend two events.

These will comprise the opening of a football stadium in Jaffna and a banquet to celebrate the 75th anniversary of local football. According to FFSL President Ranjith Rodrigo, Blatter’s presence here will give local football a tremendous boost. “Mr. Blatter’s presence at our 75th anniversary celebrations will give local football a much-needed fillip, while the inauguration of the ‘One Goal’ theme, the unveiling of the 75th anniversary logo, presentations to three of our very own ‘Football Legends’ and the launch of a brand new football team jersey are all on the cards,” he said. Blatter, who was elected on 8 June 1998, succeeding João Havelange, was re-elected President in 2002, 2007 and 2011. Blatter was born in Visp, Canton Valais, Switzerland and studied in Saint-Maurice, Switzerland, before he received a degree in business and economics from the University of Lausanne in 1959. Blatter has had a long and varied career, including posts such as Head of Public Relations of the Valaisan Tourist Board in his native Switzerland as well as General Secretary of the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation. He was Director of Sports Timing and Relations of Longines S.A. and was involved in organising the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games. Since 1975 Blatter has been working at FIFA, first as Technical Director (1975–1981), then General Secretary (1981–1998), before being elected FIFA President.