By David Owen
July 23 – A close ally of FIFA Executive Committee (ExCo) member Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah has been made heir apparent of the International Swimming Federation (FINA).
Husain Al Mussallam, who like Sheikh Ahmad is a Kuwaiti, was on Thursday elected as the first holder of the newly created office of FINA First Vice President. In this role, Al Mussallam is charged with representing FINA and conducting FINA meetings in the absence of the President, a charismatic 79-year-old Uruguayan called Julio César Maglione. Swimming is one of the most important Summer Olympic sports.
Al Mussallam is a regular companion of Sheikh Ahmad, now firmly established as one of world sport’s leading power brokers, as he criss-crosses the globe from one high-powered international sports forum to another. He was, for example, present at FIFA headquarters in Zurich on May 30 as Sheikh Ahmad attended his first FIFA ExCo meeting on the day after Sepp Blatter’s re-election for a fifth term as FIFA President.
Al Mussallam’s election came at a FINA Extraordinary Congress in Kazan, Russia, ahead of the start of the 16th World Aquatics Championships. These Championships are being held at the Kazan Arena, which will also serve as a venue for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Sheikh Ahmad, who appears to have forged an alliance with UEFA President and possible FIFA Presidential candidate Michel Platini, and whose roles include the Presidency of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), was present in the capital of Tatarstan, along with Russian Sports Minister and fellow FIFA ExCo member, Vitaly Mutko, on Thursday as the Congress got under way. He described Kazan as “a true sport capital”. Both men will presumably move on to St Petersburg for Saturday’s preliminary World Cup draw.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1736208916labto1736208916ofdlr1736208916owedi1736208916sni@n1736208916ewo.d1736208916ivad1736208916