Olympic Council of Asia fumes over ´vote-buy´ claims

April 20, 2009

SINGAPORE (AFP) – The Olympic Council of Asia on Monday angrily denied “baseless” accusations that it was involved in “vote-buying” to influence the outcome of elections for a FIFA executive committee seat.

The Council, headed by Kuwait’s Sheikh Ahmad Al Sabah, has been asked by FIFA’s ethics committee to clarify the claims surrounding an increasingly ugly battle for power within the Asian Football Confederation.

At stake is an Asian seat on the powerful FIFA executive committee, currently held by AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam.

His term ends on May 8 and Bahraini Crown Prince, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, is challenging him.

In an interview with Australia’s SBS television on March 30, Bin Hammam claimed that the OCA, via its national Olympic committees, was offering grants to football associations in Asia to secure their votes for Sheikh Salman.

FIFA decided to look into the allegations after a request to do so, reportedly by Australian broadcaster Les Murray, who conducted the interview with Bin Hammam and who also sits on the ethics committee.

But the OCA said it was untrue and is threatening legal action.

“The OCA has completely and absolutely denied the allegations leveled on it with regard to the rumors concerning the AFC elections,” it said in a statement sent to AFP.

The Olympic body said it was asked to clarify its position by the FIFA’s ethics committee on April 16.

“The OCA was quick to respond on the very same day denying the baseless accusations and requested FIFA to name the source,” it said, adding that FIFA denied to reveal who had made the claims.

“However, subsequently OCA found out … that the base of these allegations was the interview given by Mr. Bin Hammam, President of AFC to the SBS, an Australian broadcaster on 30th of March 2009.”

It added that Bin Hammam “leveled allegations on OCA without any proof, which is a part of his unwise campaign and has a created a division in football in the Asian continent”.

“The OCA further expects new accusations and rumors from Bin Hammam till the elections are completed on 8th May which is part of his election strategy.

“Clearly, the OCA cannot leave such accusations unanswered and is now preparing to undertake legal action against these so called ’sources’ along with at least 15 countries who have also been wrongly implicated.”

Qatar’s Bin Hammam, accused by his opponents of running the AFC like a dictator, says he will step down as AFC chief if he loses the FIFA seat, despite his term not expiring until 2011.

He was not immediately available for comment on Monday.

Tags: AFC, Ahmad Al Sabah, al khalifa, al sabah, allegations, Asia, asian continent, asian football confederation, Australia, bahraini, baseless accusations, broadcaster, CAF Champions League, crown prince, FIFA, fifa executive committee, football associations, kuwait, mr bin, Murray, national olympic committees, oca, olympic council, president mohamed, Qatar, sbs television, sheikh ahmad, SINGAPORE, stake

Blatter demands fair play in AFC leadership row

April 17, 2009

SINGAPORE (AFP) – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has demanded all sides play by the book in an increasingly bitter battle for power inside the Asian Football Confederation.

The head of the sport’s world governing body made the comments as relations between AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam and his chief rival, Bahrain’s Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, plummet.

Shaikh Salman, Bahrain’s Crown Prince, is challenging Bin Hammam for his seat on FIFA’s executive committee, with the winner decided at the AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur on May 8.

Qatar’s Bin Hammam, accused by his opponents of being a dictator, says he will step down as AFC chief if he loses the FIFA seat, despite his term not expiring until 2011.

The battle, which both sides claim to be winning, has become increasingly political among the powerful factions within the AFC’s 46 member nations, with Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia all opposed to Bin Hammam.

On Wednesday, South Korea’s football association filed a complaint with FIFA’s ethics committee against the Qatari, accusing him of “groundless, bitter accusations.”

The row stems from remarks Bin Hammam made in a television interview in February, in which he blasted Korea Football Association chief Cho Jung-Yeon, saying he was ready to “cut Cho’s head off.”

Meanwhile, the ethics committee is reportedly probing claims by Bin Hammam that the Olympic Council of Asia, via its national Olympic committees, was trying to pressure national football associations to vote for Sheikh Salman.

Blatter, a long-time supporter of Bin Hammam, said all sides needed to start showing more respect and discipline.

“Football is a universal sport based on the fundamental principles of discipline and respect for opponents and the laws of the game… underpinned by the values of fair play and ethics,” he said in a statement.

“These principles and values must be applied not only on the field of play, but also in the administration and governance of football, particularly in the area of sports politics.

“And, of course, this includes elections to the governing bodies of football.

“As president of FIFA, it is my duty to remind all members of the Asian football community of the importance of these values in the run-up to the election scheduled for May 8 for the vacant Asian seat on the FIFA executive committee.”

Several key proposals made by Bin Hammam have proved to be controversial, and helped spark the move to oust him.

These include his plan to move the AFC headquarters out of Malaysia, a proposed 12-year marketing deal with World Sport Group and amendments to the AFC statutes that would consolidate his power.

Despite the move to unseat him, Bin Hammam believes he has the numbers to remain at AFC House, claiming this month that he has the support of 33 of the 46 members nations so far, with a two-thirds majority required.

Asia has four seats on the FIFA executive committee — South Korea’s Chung Mong-Joon as vice-president, Japan’s Junji Ogura from East Asia, Thailand’s Worawi Makudi from Southeast Asia, and Bin Hammam.

Bin Hammam’s is the only position up for election.