Hassan Al Thawadi speaking to journalists at Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
KUALA LUMPUR: Qatar’s Hassan Al Thawadi refuses to be cowed down by his defeat in the FIFA ExCo race which was won yesterday by Bahrain’s football chief Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa.
Sheikh Salman, after becoming the AFC president yesterday, managed to accumulate 28 votes against 18 secured by young Al Thawadi.
Despite the defeat in his first attempt, Al Thawadi promised to keep working for the development of the game in Asia.
“I think it was a decent run. In the end, it was an election - there is a winner and there’s a loser. I congratulate Sheikh Salman on winning the presidency and the FIFA ExCo seat. I wish him all the best,” Al Thawadi said. The 34-year-old Qatari said he’s convinced there are people in AFC who believe in his vision that he has for the world’s most populous continent.
“There’s no doubt about that there are people who voted for you because they believe in you, they believe in your vision,” Al Thawadi said. “Having said that I am very positive. There’s a very good foundation to build on. I believe that’s a very good step towards the future and I always believe you should walk towards the future. I will definitely do that,” he added.
“I will be working with my colleagues within the AFC to take the game of football forward,” he said. “For me, I was always focused on Asia.
“Asia’s strength is that 60 percent of the world’s population is in our continent. Half of the FIFA’s business partners are from Asia. For me, Asia remains the future.
“Maybe because it was my first campaign,” Al Thawadi said when asked to reason his loss.
“But it was an exhilarating experience. It was an experience that you cherish regardless of what the results were,” Al Thawadi explained.
“I spoke to the 46 members of AFC. I tried to present them a vision.
Like I said it was a great experience,” he said.
“My focus was always on my vision on what I had to offer. It was my first campaign so I can’t really tell how it was. All I can say I got 18 votes. Eighteen members think I can build on my vision for Asia. That’s what I am looking at right now,” he added.
Al Thawadi said he would now turn his focus on preparing to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“We have projects on the ground. In the coming months we will get more work done. We will deliver on every statement we made in our bid,” Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, promised.
“Our plans are there. We are moving today. Vision is being delivered on the ground day by day,” Al Thawadi told international media.
When asked about his future course of action within the AFC, Al Thawadi said: “There are options available. We will make the decision in due course of time.”
He quickly added: “My passion is football. This is what keeps me motivated.”
The Peninsula
