HAMMAM RETAINS FIFA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SEAT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 (Bernama) -- Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
president Mohammed Hammam of Qatar successfully retained his FIFA Executive
Committee seat for another four-year term after winning by a slim majority
against Shaikh Salman Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain in the contest for the seat
at the 23rd AFC Congress, here Friday.

Hammam, who turned 60 Friday, defeated Shaikh Salman, a member of Bahrain's
royal family and FIFA's Disciplinary Committee, by a margin of two votes when he
polled 23 votes against 21 votes garnered by the Bahraini to retain the powerful
seat that he has held since 1996.

The 24-member FIFA Executive Committee will decide the host countries for
the staging of World Cup 2018 and 2024.

During the election process, which was participated by all 46 members of the
AFC, only 44 votes were counted while two were spoilt.

Hammam in his victory speech said it was a very close fight but was grateful
Salman had accepted the results graciously.


Prior to the congress, there was a "war of words" between the camps of
Hammam and Salman which triggered a tense situation in the contest.

Former AFC general-secretary Peter Velappan on Wednesday had expressed
regret supporting Mohammed Hammam in his bid to become AFC president in 2002
following the Qatari recently suggesting that AFC House in Bukit Jalil be
relocated from Malaysia.

However, before the start of the congress today, Hammam made a surprise
U-turn when he proposed to remove agenda No. 13, which outlined the relocation
of the AFC headquarters or AFC House in Bukit Jalil to another country.

The proposal was accepted unanimously by the 46 delegates.

Hammam said it was done after taking into consideration several factors
following his meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday.

"The prime minister has agreed to look at certain issues regarding the AFC
House. I, therefore, proposed to remove agenda Number 13 from today's meeting,"
he said.

-- BERNAMA