KUALA LUMPUR:Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa was re-elected unopposed to the positionas president of the Asian Football Confederation yesterday after the regionalbody's congress confirmed a new four-year term for the Bahraini by acclamation.The 53-year-old, who was not present at the meeting due to the death of hismother earlier in the week, was handed a third term at the helm after hisrivals, Mohammed Al Romaithi from the United Arab Emirates and Qatari Saoud AlMohannadi, withdrew.
Sheikh Salmanwill extend his reign as president until at least 2023, by which time he willhave completed a 10-year spell in charge of the 47-member body after initiallycompleting the truncated term of former president Mohammed bin Hammam. He tookover for the last two years of Bin Hammam's stint as AFC president after theQatari was banned for life by governing body FIFA from all football activitiesfor his involvement in a corruption scandal.
A member of theBahrian royal family, Sheikh Salman first came to prominence in footballingcircles in 2009 when he faced off against Bin Hammam for a seat on FIFA'sdecision making body, a ballot he lost by a single vote. However, he won thepresidential election in 2013 and was returned unopposed in 2015 before runningunsuccessfully against Gianni Infantino for the position of FIFA president thefollowing year.
Initially electedon a platform of accountability, he has becoming increasingly distant duringhis presidency, rarely taking questions from the media since winning his secondterm of office. The former Bahrain Football Association president has deniedaccusations he was involved in human rights abuses by the Gulf state's rulingfamily during a crackdown on democracy protesters in 2011.
The issueresurfaced in January when Sheikh Salman's position in world football wasquestioned by campaigners seeking the release of former Bahrain internationalHakeem Al Araibi from a Thai detention centre under threat of extradition tothe Gulf state.
Sheikh Salman didnot comment publicly on the matter and the AFC later claimed to have recusedhim 18 months earlier from involvement in matters involving nations in the westof the continent due to a potential conflict of interests.
Those matters,though, have done little to dampen enthusiasm for him to remain in charge ofAsia's governing body, with his hopes of reelection boosted in June last yearwhen he signed off on a new deal for the AFC's commercial and broadcast rights.
The agreementwith Chinese-backed company DDMC Fortis will ensure revenues more than doublefrom those under the current agreement with long-term partner Lagardere Sports.Meanwhile, India set their sights on qualifying for the 2026 World Cup asPraful Patel became their first representative on the powerful FIFA Councilyesterday. Patel, one of six Asian delegates elected to the Council at theAsian Football Confederation Congress, said the World Cup was the next big stepfor India after making great strides in recent years.
India'sconfidence has grown after a positive Asian Cup in January, where they returnedto the tournament after eight years and were unlucky not to reach the secondround. "I personally feel that among all the countries in Asia there is atremendous goodwill for India, and (also) China should be much more involved inthe game and also the AFC and FIFA," Patel said in Kuala Lumpur. "Weshould be putting our best efforts to make sure that the Indian team qualifies in2026 for the World Cup," he added. However, India are also searching for anew coach after Englishman Stephen Constantine quit following their Asian Cupexit after a last-gasp defeat to Bahrain. - Agencies