Japan PM congratulates Warner
Trinidad Express
PM Koizumi made his feelings known to FIFA vice-president Jack Warner as he hosted the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation special adviser and other FIFA big wigs such as FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Issa Hayatou, FIFA vice-president and president of the African Confederation (CAF), yesterday as they visited for the FIFA World Club Championship.
Warner left Trinidad earlier this week and following his 30-hour flight from Piarco, he was invited to meet with Koizumi, who extended congratulations to Warner on T&T's qualification for their first-ever World Cup appearance.
Koizumi insisted that he wanted to meet with Warner, who was a key player off the pitch in getting T&T to the World Cup and achieving the milestone of becoming the smallest country to do so.
He advised Warner that T&T and the 31 other countries were all winners to have reached the World Cup Finals, which begin on June 9, 2006, but according to him, by July 9, 31 countries will all be losers and there will only be one winner-the 2006 World Cup champions and that what is really important is that now that the 32 finalists have learnt how to win, 31 of the 32 countries must learn how to lose.
The Japanese PM said he had never visited Trinidad and Tobago but now that the country is so famous he can be encouraged to do so.
He also spoke at length on what hosting the 2002 World Cup did for his country and for Asia and commended the FIFA on what it is doing, through football, to make the world a better place.
"Football is universal and we can see the difference that it is making is evident in all corners of the globe," he said.
Warner invited PM Koizumi to witness one of Trinidad and Tobago's World Cup matches next year, to which he jokingly replied that he will attend the World Cup Final next year only if the Soca Warriors and his homeland end up as the two finalists on July 9.
