I wish that Australia had not fallen for the bribery fest of bidding for the FIFA World Soccer competition in 2022. I wish that Australia had decided not to suck up to the selection committee. Instead, it should have taken the moral high ground and refused to pay for all those those greedy demands of the selectors. The entire process has an unpleasant stench about it.

We stooped to conquer and were outbid by those nations who were prepared to pay more to hold the soccer matches in their country. Surely, something that has to be bought from people who have demonstrated a lack of moral principles, should be rejected.

I would like to think that Australia is above such activities.

If you have to buy someone’s vote then you really can’t trust that voter. How do you know that the nation which has been bribed will not betray you? Well, you don’t know and that’s what happened to the U.K and to Australia. And I say it serves them both right.

What we have learned from the FIFA fiasco is that the selection process should be changed if the stink of corruption is to be eradicated. In future, perhaps a few interested nations who can provide the facilities should throw their names into a hat and then the winner will be randomly drawn out of it. This should offer poorer nations who love soccer a fairer chance at the “coveted prize”.

Better still, isn’t it time we grew up and stopped competing over stuff that’s as trivial as hosting a ball game? The cost of selling your soul for that privilege is way too high.