"Pray for my success" Bin Hammam tells India

By Andrew Warshaw

April 14 – Mohamed Bin Hammam wound up a two-day visit to India today by saying he had a “50 per cent chance” of unseating Sepp Blatter at the FIFA Presidential election on June 1.

Bin Hammam was in the country to inaugurate a seminar of South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) and promised to represent the entire area if elected.

“This will be an Asian Project. I’m representing all of you in this continent,” said Bin Hammam in Delhi.

“I wish that every one of you pray that Asia will succeed in giving a FIFA President this time.”

Blatter has been at the helm of world football for 13 years but Bin Hammam, head of the Asian Football Confederation, said it was not just about knocking the 75-year-old Swiss off his throne.

The FIFA election rules require the winning candidate to get a two-thirds majority in the first ballot, or an outright majority in the second.

“I would say my chance to win the election is 50-50,” said Bin Hammam.

“It’s not about competing against a person who has been in the seat for so long.

“The idea is, a lot of people are looking forward to changes and are looking forward to new ideas.”

He was virtually assured of SAFF’s support by its President Kazi Salahuddin of Bangladesh.

The region comprises India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan.

Bin Hammam promised to continue efforts to raise the standard of football in both India and China, both potentially powerful allies.

“I am now President of a continent which has two thirds of the population of the world and India and China form two thirds of Asia’s population and one third of the world.

“If you popularise football in the two countries you are taking the game to a huge population of the world.”

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