Bahrain wins battle of royals
Source: Agencies |
May 3, 2013, Friday
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IN a stunning double election defeat for Qatari interests, Bahrain royal family member Sheik Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa became the top figure in Asian football yesterday.
Bahrain now has a key power broker within the world's most popular sport just weeks after its hosting of a Formula One Grand Prix was again the focus of pro-democracy protests after two years of turmoil in the island kingdom.
Sheik Salman won a landslide victory to become president of the Asian Football Confederation, then beat Qatar's 2022 World Cup organizing chief Hassan Al Thawadi to claim a vacant seat on FIFA's executive committee. In both polls to formally replace his old rival Mohamed bin Hammam, Sheik Salman defeated friends and former associates of the ousted Qatari official. FIFA expelled bin Hammam for alleged corruption.
The ballot results suggested Sheik Salman's campaign was unaffected by allegations since 2011 that he failed to protect Bahrain national team players from human rights abuses after protesting his family's rule.
"If anybody has a proof (that) the Bahrain Football Association has violated the statutes of FIFA or the AFC let them present it, otherwise we move to the next question," Sheik Salman said.
The 47-year-old sheik left the conference room at a Kuala Lumpur hotel shielded by his entourage.
Bahrain now has a key power broker within the world's most popular sport just weeks after its hosting of a Formula One Grand Prix was again the focus of pro-democracy protests after two years of turmoil in the island kingdom.
Sheik Salman won a landslide victory to become president of the Asian Football Confederation, then beat Qatar's 2022 World Cup organizing chief Hassan Al Thawadi to claim a vacant seat on FIFA's executive committee. In both polls to formally replace his old rival Mohamed bin Hammam, Sheik Salman defeated friends and former associates of the ousted Qatari official. FIFA expelled bin Hammam for alleged corruption.
The ballot results suggested Sheik Salman's campaign was unaffected by allegations since 2011 that he failed to protect Bahrain national team players from human rights abuses after protesting his family's rule.
"If anybody has a proof (that) the Bahrain Football Association has violated the statutes of FIFA or the AFC let them present it, otherwise we move to the next question," Sheik Salman said.
The 47-year-old sheik left the conference room at a Kuala Lumpur hotel shielded by his entourage.
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