By Andrew Warshaw
April 18 – Kuwait has wasted no time in publicly announcing that it will back Asian Football Confederation presidential candidate Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain in next month’s election.
The Kuwaitis have long been strong supporters of Sheikh Salman and have been quick to place on record their backing for the Bahrain FA boss following his much-publicised press conference earlier this week when he dodged questions about alleged collusion with the Olympic Council of Asia and about widespread human rights abuses in his home country.
A statement from the Kuwait Football Association, released to media organisations and signed by KFA general secretary Saho Al-Shammari, said the federation was “convinced” that Sheikh Salman’s programme to restore the AFC’s credibility was the best option.
“The KFA’s honorary life President H.E. Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah as well as the current President H.E. Sheikh Talal Al Fahad Al Sabah have underlined the importance of supporting the candidate’s concrete action plan to establish accountability, integrity, equality and transparency within the Asian Football Family,” the statement said.
Kuwait also supported Sheikh Salman when he lost out to Mohamed bin Hammam in 2009 in a bitter battle for a place on the FIFA executive committee.
“As the KFA honorary life President and on behalf of the entire football family of Kuwait we are standing united behind his candidature and I believe that he (Sheikh Salman) has the necessary leadership skills and vision to lead the AFC into a future of growth and prosperity,” said Sheikh Ahmad, who was President of the KWA from 1991 to 2003.
At least one of Sheikh Salman’s opponents has expressed his concern at the alleged intrusion at the May 2 election of the OCA, a body run by Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al-Sabah of Kuwait and based in Kuwait City.
But Sheikh Ahmed said: “My focus has always been based on the fair and transparent improvement of our game both on and off the field of play.”
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