On the Scene -- Bin Hammam Wins FIFA Asia Football Seat

Sepp Blatter's original scheduled address was scrapped at the last moment. (A. Stavrinos/ATR/Panasonic:Lumix)(The following storywasfiled prior to the vote in Kuala Lumpur. On the scene coverage from ATR correspondent Anthony Stavrinos is ahead later today)

What is expected to be a fiery meeting of the Asian Football Confederation’s 46 member nations kicked off on a low-key note with the traditional AFC Congress gala dinner, attended by some of the world’s most influential football leaders.

Among the guests were FIFA President Sepp Blatter, UEFA President Michele Platini and FIFA Vice President Jack Warner.

AFC President Mohamed bin Hammam opened the Asian gathering, casting aside the bitter atmosphere created by a divisive election campaign for a seat on FIFA’s executive committee, by declaring unity and civility within the AFC.

“We will show the world how civilized we are,” he told guests.

“We will conduct our business as one family. Although there are differences, we are united and determined to develop football and there will be victory for all of our football family.”

It remains unknown why a scheduled address by Blatter at the start of the dinner was scrapped at the last moment.

Bin Hammam faces his first challenge since taking the West Asia seat on the FIFA executive committee in 1996 when Congress assembles on Friday, his 60th birthday.

His challenger, Bahraini royal, Sheik Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, is talking up his chances of success.

“I’m confident I will have success in this election,” he told Reuters. “We need to restore democracy in our game and bring all our members together again, as one.”

The AFC executive committee lifted voting bans on four of five member associations, maintaining it stance only on Kuwait, which staunchly opposed bin Hammam.

Top of the agenda at the crucial meeting will be whether Kuwait should be barred from voting in the day’s polls which also include a proposal to relocate AFC headquarters from Malaysia to one of several other nations, including Singapore, the UAE and Qatar.

FIFA has said the AFC has “no legal base” to suspend Kuwait, but the AFC maintains it has breached rules in forming its football association.

Evidence of the bitterness underpinning the election battle between the AFC president and his challenger has come in the form of a personal attack on the sidelines on Congress.

Long-time rival to bin Hammam, Korea’s Chung Mong-joon, a key ally of Sheik Salman, stepped up his attack on the AFC chief, describing him as “mentally ill” and suggesting he needs hospitalization.

“I am Chung Moon-jong of Korea, holds a press conference in which he says AFC president has "mental problems" and should "consider going to hospital, not FIFA." (A. Stavrinos/ATR/Panasonic:Lumix)afraid that Mr. Hammam may be a sick person who needs to be at a hospital rather than at [world football's governing body] FIFA," the South Korean Hyundai tycoon told reporters.

Chung, a FIFA vice president and South Korean member of parliament, claims Hammam is “acting like a head of a crime organization” and that Asian football is now suffering from a serious lack of transparency and solidarity.

“In the beginning he was not like he is today. Mr. Hammam should have tried to be the type of leader who works hard to unite rather than divide and rule,” Chung said.

Bin Hammam has maintained his low key lead-up to the AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, decling to comment on Chung's attack either personally or through his spokesman.

He has vowed to also step down as AFC president if he loses the vote for the FIFA seat.

Written by Anthony Stavrinos

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