By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
April 17 – The frontrunner in the race to become the most powerful man in Asian football has ducked questions about his alleged implication in a vote-buying scandal and about widespread human rights abuses in his native Bahrain.
He was also unwilling to discuss alleged collusion with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) both in 2009 when he ran for AFC election to the FIFA executive committee against Mohamed Bin Hammam and again in the current campaign, according to at least one other candidate standing in the May 2 ballot.
Despite Sheikh Salman and his representatives speaking fluent English, Tuesday’s press conference was streamed around the world in Arabic when it would have been just as easy to provide an English feed. Journalists at the event itself were given simultaneous translation but English-speaking media organisations listening to the stream had no access to almost the entire question and answer session.
One British reporter who specifically asked about InsideWorldFootball’s report (April 16) went unanswered. “We are only discussing factual things,” the moderator answered in English. “I think it was, I would call it, a cheap shot to ruin our press conference, and at the same to ruin His Excellency’s candidacy.”
Yet it is understood that another English-speaking foreign reporter was asked to leave the room before the press conference began because of previous negative reporting. He stood his ground to hear Sheikh Salman talk of the need for transparency and integrity in Asian football.
Sheikh Salman, who is also standing for election to FIFA’s all-powerful executive committee, was at pains to stick to what he would bring to the table if elected on May 2.
“My response is let’s talk about football and leave the political side to the other people who deal with that,” he told reporters in separate interviews. “We hear reports a lot from all sides and I am here to talk about the elections.
“I don’t want to talk about these matters because the moment you talk about it, it opens the door. Since I have been in charge of football here in Bahrain, we always leave religious and political matters and views outside to try to focus on the game.”
Yet pressed on claims he was courting OCA backing, he couldn’t resist a dig at election opponent Youssef Al-Serkal who went on record last week as expressing his disapproval about the OCA meddling in next month’s ballot in Kuala Lumpur.
Dismissing Al Serkal’s reasoning, Sheikh Salman fired a strongly-worded personal broadside in the direction of his main rival, who is head of the United Arab Emirates federation.
“We should be more mature than that,” he declared. “We know that there are people supporting others and this happens in an election. If he (OCA president Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al-Sabah Sheikh Ahmad) wants to support me, he is free to support me.
“We should talk about the main issues rather than the other candidates. I think it’s just a weak position if the candidate is talking about the others rather than what he is willing to do and his programme.”
Sheikh Salman also denied he was a ‘puppet’ for the Kuwaiti Olympic chief. “I’ll be my own man and I’ve got two years to prove that. I can say of the others that they are puppets of other regimes or other countries? Would that be right? I don’t think so,” he retorted.
One subject on which most neutral observers would agree was Sheikh Salman’s assertion that whoever heads Asian football should also be on the FIFA executive committee instead of having two separate positions.
Hassan al Thawadi, who heads the Qatar 2022 World Cup organising committee, is his only rival for the vacant FIFA exco place but is not running for AFC president.
“How can we have a president who cannot have our voice in FIFA?” asked Sheikh Salman. “To have a candidate running for just one post and not another I regard as a compromise, a weak position just to accept what they can get.”
Skeikh Salman insisted he was the man who would implement a much-needed “wind of change” for Asian football. “I think I represent the new face of Asia. People who want to vote for the change, the choice is clear. If people want to leave matters as they are, they have the right to do so. I think it’s time to steer the ship to calmer waters. This is what I’d like to do.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734874031labto1734874031ofdlr1734874031owedi1734874031sni@w1734874031ahsra1734874031w.wer1734874031dna1734874031
