By Andrew Warshaw
October 8 – The head of Asian football and one of FIFA’s most powerful administrators, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, was conspicuous by his absence as the Leaders Sport Business Summit, attended by a raft of the game’s movers and shakers, opened today.
Salman, president of the Asian Football Confederation, had been due to address delegates on the first afternoon of the two-day summit on the development of game in his region, and reforms that had been put in place, but withdrew on the eve of the conference due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
The AFC chief who is leading FIFA’s Task Force to decide on a firm date for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, was replaced by his general secretary Dato’ Alex Soosay.
His non-appearance at Leaders, being staged at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium, came as a court hearing in London ruled that Bahrain’s Prince Nasser bin Hamed al-Khalifa was not immune from prosecution.
Bahrain immediately condemned the court ruling as “an ill-targeted, politically motivated and opportunistic attempt to misuse the British legal system.”
The Crown Protection Service’s ruling reversed a 2012 decision that, because of his immunity, authorities could not investigate allegations that the prince was involved in human rights violations during the 2011 pro-democracy demonstrations in his country.
Salman, a member of the ruling Bahraini Royal family, won a landslide AFC election triumph in 2013 after a fiercely contested campaign, as well as winning election to FIFA’s executive committee.
Salman has subsequently worked hard at uniting what looked like an increasingly fractured region but has more recently seen much more common purpose, especially with regard to West Asian support of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The focus on Bahrain’s human rights record will come at an unwelcome time and as an unwanted diversion as the debate over 2022 World Cup dates nears its conclusion.
Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, who unannounced (at least to journalists) visited the Qatari-organised Aspire Global Summit in Paris earlier this week, similarly emphasised the importance of unity in the West Asian football community and a focus on football development above football politics.
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