SYDNEY: FIFA President Gianni Infantino Friday postponed a trip to Australia so he can attend funeral services for the footballers killed in a plane crash in the Colombian mountains.

The global football chief had been due in Sydney on Monday after attending the under-20 Women’s World Cup final in Papua New Guinea, but called it off.

“FIFA President Gianni Infantino has postponed his visit to Australia... so that he can attend funeral services in Brazil for those lost in this week’s Colombian plane cra­sh,” FIFA said in statement.

The charter plane, carrying Brazilian football club Chapecoense Real, went down late Monday near the Colombian city of Medellin en route to the Copa Sudam­ericana final against Atletico Nacional.

Seventy-one of those on board died, including most of the team and 20 journalists travelling with them. Six people miraculously survived.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2016