Sport | Football
Bin Hammam recommends Kuwait be allowed to vote
Kuwait will vote in Friday's election to select Asia's representative on the Fifa executive committee after Asian Football Confederation boss Mohammad Bin Hammam withdrew his objection to its inclusion.
- Agencies
- Published: 08:12 May 8, 2009
Kuala Lumpur: Kuwait will vote in Friday's election to select Asia's representative on the Fifa executive committee after Asian Football Confederation boss Mohammad Bin Hammam withdrew his objection to its inclusion.
Bin Hammam's about face on Kuwait's involvement in the election came after the Court of Arbitration for Sport late on Thursday gave authority to the other 45 Asian football nations to decide its voting rights.
Bin Hammam, who is standing in the election, told the ongoing AFC Congress he recommended they rule that Kuwait be allowed to vote.
"Fair play is my game and I want to contest the election in a fair play manner," he said.
Bin Hammam is being challenged for his Fifa seat by Bahrain's Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.
The two rival camps have waged aggressive campaigns in recent weeks, accusing each other of corruption and buying votes.
"I do not want, for one minute, anybody to think that I have won (the election) by cheating or interpreting the statutes," Bin Hammam said.
The Qatari businessman also reversed his earlier standpoint that the AFC headquarters be shifted from Malaysia to Qatar.
Bin Hammam said he spoke to Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, who expressed his desire that the AFC headquarters remain in Kuala Lumpur.
Earlier, FIFA president Sepp Blatter made an impassioned plea to the Congress for unity among the Asian footballing nations.
"I appeal to the congress for the unity of the Asian family. Show the world that here culture is written in capital letter. Culture is respect ... Fair play," Blatter said. "I do not want to see a divided Asia. I want to see a unified, responsible and proud Asia."
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