Bin Hammam tries to match Blatter in funding pledge

By Andrew Warshaw

April 22 – The publicity machine ahead of the FIFA Presidency vote on June 1 swung back towards Mohamed Bin Hammam today when the challenger from Asia said he, too, would significantly increase funding to poorer nations if elected.

Bin Hammam, President of the Asian Football Confederation, has been travelling in Africa trying to drum up support for his attempt to unseat Sepp Blatter.

“I will increase financial support, I will develop infrastructure in football for poor countries in Africa,” he said, adding that, like Blatter, he would increase funding for FIFA’s Goal project in developing nations.

“Today, at FIFA, we give $250,000 (£151,000) a year to each federation, what I’m going to make [if elected] to $500,000 (£302,000) per year.

“There is also the Goal Project, a development project in federations.

“For the project, the maximum is $400,000 (£242,000), I will bring it to $1 million (£605,000) for each project.

“I think that’s the least I could do at the moment for Africa, but there are many other programmes to technical aids such as training of referees, coaches, administrators.”

One African country, Kenya, is sitting on the fence for the moment.

Both bin Hammam and a representative of Blatter were in Nairobi at the same time to lobby but a Kenyan FA spokesman said the country would take sides – yet.

“It is inappropriate to declare whom we shall support now,” he said.

“Let us look at their election manifestos.”

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