Kuwaiti Steps Down

FIFA powerbroker quits amid corruption claims

- Keir Radndege

One of world sport’s most powerful individuals, Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, quit football’s top table after being drawn into the FIFA Gate corruption scandal.

Sheikh Ahmad, a former head of oil cartel OPEC, is president of both the Association of National Olympic Committees and the Olympic Council of Asia. He is also head of cash dispensing Olympic Solidarity and, in 2015, added to his power portfolio on being appointed a member of the FIFA Council.

The Kuwaiti, an influential supporter of IOC president Thomas Bach, withdrew his pursuit of FIFA Council re-election on the eve of the 2017 congress in Bahrain.

The spark under an explosive development in world sport politics was the evidence given in a Brooklyn court by Richard Lai, a member of the FIFA financial watchdog. Lai has admitted receiving around $1million in bribes from sports sources in Qatar and Kuwait.

Sheikh Ahmad issued a statement “strongly” denying the allegations, but 24 hours later, amid speculation that he would become subject to a FIFA ethics investigation, he announced he was quitting all football activities with immediate effect. He said: “With regard to illegal payments to Richard Lai, I can only refer to my previous statement and vigorously deny all wrongdoing.