KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Former Asian football administrator Peter Velappan said Tuesday that Mohamed bin Hammam should not escape punishment for alleged corruption despite resigning from all football-related positions and accepting a new life ban from FIFA.
Bin Hammam, a FIFA executive committee member from Qatar who challenged incumbent Sepp Blatter for the presidency last year, gave up his long-running dispute with football’s world governing body after being found guilty by FIFA of violations of its code of ethics while head of the Asian Football Confederation.
Velappan, who was AFC general secretary from 1978 to 2007, told the Associated Press the AFC and FIFA should pursue investigations into alleged corruption and misappropriation of funds by bin Hammam.
“This is his Christmas gift. He has no other choice but to resign, but it doesn’t mean that he should be let off the hook,” Velappan said. “Fair play should not be just on the field but also off the field. If bin Hammam has breached fair play, he must be made accountable and be charged.”
FIFA said the 63-year-old bin Hammam sent a resignation letter to both FIFA and the AFC on Saturday. It said the second life ban is a result of the final report from its ethics committee showing “repeated violations” of ethics during bin Hammam’s term as AFC president and member of the FIFA executive committee.
AFC officials couldn’t be reached for immediate comment Tuesday.
The AFC plans to elect a new president next April, ending uncertainty since bin Hammam was suspended by FIFA last year. Acting president Zhang Jilong is considered the front runner to take up the post.
FIFA handed bin Hammam a life ban last year after he was found guilty of bribing voters in a campaign to unseat Blatter, but the ban was lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Bin Hammam has denied any wrongdoing, claiming the FIFA probe was politically motivated to protect Blatter.
FIFA has said evidence from whistleblowers pointed to bin Hammam handing out $40,000 bribes in cash to each of 24 Caribbean football nations during his campaign visit to Trinidad. A yearlong audit by the Malaysia-based AFC also revealed “infringements” regarding the “execution of certain contracts” and tampering with the organization’s bank accounts by bin Hammam while he was president.
As a result, the AFC ordered probes into how bin Hammam managed the accounts.
“I urge the AFC and FIFA to pursue charges against bin Hammam. This must be made a lesson to all future leaders that they cannot abuse their powers and escape with it,” Velappan said.
Ex-AFC official urges charges against bin Hammam
Ex-AFC official urges charges against bin Hammam
Power battle as Sabalenka clashes with Rybakina for Australian Open title
- Showdown pits two players who are on rampaging form and yet to drop a set in Melbourne in the past fortnight
MELBOURNE: Fire meets fire when hard-hitting Aryna Sabalenka clashes with big-serving Elena Rybakina in the women’s Australian Open final on Saturday.
The showdown pits two players who are on rampaging form and yet to drop a set in Melbourne in the past fortnight.
They know each other very well, having met 14 times previously, and it is a rematch of the 2023 title decider at Rod Laver Arena.
The Belarusian Sabalenka prevailed on that occasion, fighting back from a set down to win her first Grand Slam crown.
The world number one won it again in 2024, but was denied a hat-trick last year when she was stunned in the final by the American Madison Keys.
The meeting with the Kazakh Rybakina will be her fourth Melbourne final in a row, and she is expecting an almighty tussle.
“Her shots are heavy, deep, flat balls. It’s not easy to work with, but we have a great history,” said the 27-year-old, who defeated Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the semifinals.
“She’s an incredible player,” she added of the Moscow-born Rybakina, whose only major title so far is Wimbledon in 2022.
“We had a lot of great battles, a lot of finals we played.
“I’m looking forward to battling this power,” the top seed added with a smile.
Sabalenka goes into the final in scintillating form, having won all of her 11 matches in 2026 without dropping a set.
She lifted the Brisbane title before coming to Melbourne and is also the reigning US Open champion, underlining her prowess on hard courts.
After being well beaten on Thursday, Svitolina said that Sabalenka was “on fire.”
“She feels very comfortable here on these courts,” she added.
“Of course she won here a couple of times, so I think she has this confidence playing here.”
‘Fight till the end’
Sabalenka will be favorite, but recent history actually favors the 26-year-old Rybakina.
While Sabalenka leads their head-to-head record 8-6, Rybakina won the last time they met, in the decider at the WTA Finals in November in Saudi Arabia, in straight sets.
Rybakina is also on a terrific run of form of her own.
She lost in the quarter-finals in Brisbane, but that is her only defeat in 14 matches.
She has been quietly impressive in Melbourne, her victims including world number two Iga Swiatek and world number six Jessica Pegula.
Pegula gave an insight into what it is like facing the Kazakh, who she labelled “cool as a cucumber.”
“She’s always just tough. You know, she’s so chill. She doesn’t really give you anything,” said the American after going down 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) in the semifinals.
“You’re not really sure if she’s upset or if she’s excited or what it is.
“I think in today’s game that goes a long way.”
And then there’s Rybakina’s serve, the biggest in women’s tennis.
She has sent down 41 aces at the tournament, easily more than anyone else in the women’s draw.
Reflecting on their 2023 Australian final, Rybakina said both she and Sabalenka had improved and changed as players since.
But one thing remains the same — their power.
“Since we are both very aggressive players, serve is important,” said Rybakina.
She added: “Hopefully the serve is going to help me on Saturday, but even if it’s not, I’m going to still try to find my way.
“(I will) fight till the end, and hopefully this time it’s going to go my way.”
