Living in Peru : your everyday companion

(LIP-jl) -- On Sunday, FIFA officially banned international soccer matches played at altitudes higher than 2,500 meters (8,202 feet). Among those affected by the decision are Bolivia, Ecuador, as well as Peru.

Peru, which has been contemplating playing some of its international matches in the Andean city of Cuzco, located at more than 3,600 (11,811 feet) above sea level, will now have to refocus its plans that aim to get the Andean nation back into soccer's most prestigious tournament, the FIFA World Cup, after more than 20 years.

According to FIFA's president Sepp Blatter, soccer's governing body decided against playing high altitude matches based on advice given by FIFA's medical committee.

"I know there will be complaints about this, especially from South America, but we have to think of the health of the players first. It also leads to a distortion of the competition if matches are played at such a level. The executive committee has listened to a proposal from the medical committee and have decided to act because to play at above that altitude is not healthy or fair."

The decision has brought Peru's 2010 South Africa World Cup Commission's plans to a halt. The commission planned on playing some of its most important international matches (rumored to be Brazil and Argentina) in its Garcilaso de la Vega Stadium located in Cuzco.

The commission's president, Juvenal Silva -also president of Peruvian soccer club Ciencano del Cuzco, hired Julio Cesar Uribe as coach based on his willingness to play some of the matches in Cuzco.

"If this was really based on medical reasons, then soccer players from Cuzco and La Paz (Bolivia) would have died years ago," said Silva, who accused Brazil and Argentina of being behind FIFA's decision.

Silva indicated that he will coordinate with the federations from Bolivia and Ecuador, the most affected by FIFA's decision, to 'put a stop to the decision.'