On the Scene - Bin Hammam Publicly Backs Qatar 2022 World Cup Bid

(WFI) Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam came out in support of his home nation Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid as he opened the inaugural Soccerex Asian Forum in Singapore on Wednesday.

Hammam’s backing of his homeland’s pitch ahead of Asian nations Japan, Korea Republic and Australia comes as little surprise but this was the first time the 61-year-old has gone public with his intentions.

“I have one vote...and frankly speaking I will vote for Qatar, but if Qatar is not in the running I will vote for another Asian country,” Hammam told reporters.

The quartet of Asian countries are facing off against each other and the USA in the bid race, with the decision due to be announced by FIFA’s executive committee in Zurich on Dec. 2.

All four are aiming to become the first Asian country to host the World Cup since the Japanese and Koreans split the finals between them in 2002.

Hammam, meanwhile, also hailed the decision by FIFA president Sepp Blatter to stick by South Africa as hosts of the 2010 World Cup finals, despite concerns in the build-up to the tournament over the country’s infrastructural and crime issues in what was a universally lauded event.

“I would like to put on the record that all the credit has to go to Mr. Blatter personally,” said Hammam.

“He was the one person on the executive committee of FIFA who was insisting to take the World Cup to Africa while most of us were doubting the readiness of Africa to host the World Cup.”

While once staunch allies, the relationship between Hammam and Blatter has soured in recent times with the Qatari expected in many quarters to launch a bid to oust the Swiss as FIFA president when Blatter stands for reelection next year.

Hammam, however, played down talk of a serious rift between the two, who were long-time allies until the fallout.

“Even with my own brother, the son of my mother and my father sometimes I have arguments and Blatter is not going to be an exception and we have some differences,” he said.

“But he’s my good friend.”

The AFC president had previously been quoted saying he would not support a bid by China to host the 2026 event, but he moved to clarify the remarks made earlier this month.

“I cannot deprive any country of the dream of hosting the World Cup, but there was a question about whether I would support China for hosting 2026,” he said.

“It was a correction from my side that I told the journalist that we have four nations in Asia who are bidding for the World Cup in 2022 and if any of those nations succeeded, then the World Cup cannot come back in 2026 so China will have to wait four more years.”

Hammam was on hand to open Soccerex’s first foray into South East Asia with the conference featuring discussions on how to unlock revenues in the Asian market through broadcasting and betting and on how to respect the market and how it operates.

Several hundred delegates from around and beyond the continent attended the conference, at which the World Cup bidding committees of Qatar and Russia had a significant presence.


Michael Church reports from the Soccerex Asian Forum in Singapore


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