Peter Velappan
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Peter Velappan (born 1 October 1935) is a Malaysian association football administrator who served as the General Secretary of the Asian Football Confederation
from 1978 to 2007.
, Loughborough College
in the United Kingdom
and McGill University
in Canada
. He became a teacher in Seremban
, Negeri Sembilan
before joining the Asian Football Confederation
(AFC) in 1954. From 1963 to 1980, he was the Assistant Secretary of the Football Association of Malaysia
(FAM), during which he introduced professional
ism in the country. In 1972, as Team Manager and Coach, he guided the national team to qualification for the 1972 Olympics
in Munich
.
In 1978, Velappan was appointed General Secretary of the AFC. He oversaw the entry of many member countries into the AFC during his tenure, which also saw Asia
host its first ever FIFA World Cup
. He was Coordination Director of the Organising Committee of the 2002 FIFA World Cup
in South Korea
and Japan
. He served under three AFC presidents: Malaysians Hamzah Abu Samah
(1978–1994), Sultan Ahmad Shah (1994–2002) and Mohamed bin Hammam from Qatar (2002–2007). Velappan retired in 2007.
Velappan remains as Project Director of Vision Asia, a program devoted to popularizing football at the grassroots level in Asia and raising the standards of performance to compete with the rest of the world.
He also had a difficult working relationship with AFC President Mohamed bin Hammam towards the end of his tenure as general secretary, after the latter suggested moving the AFC headquarters away from Kuala Lumpur
. He campaigned against Bin Hammam during the election for AFC's seat on the FIFA Executive Committee
in 2009, backing Shaikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa
from Bahrain
. Bin Hammam barely won the election. Velappan also publicly slammed Bin Hammam's candidacy during the 2011 FIFA presidential election, citing Bin Hammam's "undemocratic" approach.
when he accused Chinese fans in the Workers Stadium
in Beijing
of jeering at VIP guests during the opening ceremony. He chided them as "not polite" and expressed doubts over Beijing's ability to host the Olympics in 2008. When it later emerged that a technical glitch involving the stadium's big screen had mistakenly created the impression that fans were booing at the guests, he apologized.
Malay titles
The Malay language has a complex system of titles and honorifics, which are still used extensively in Malaysia and Brunei. Singapore, whose Malay royalty was abolished by the British colonial government in 1891, has adopted civic titles for its leaders....
Peter Velappan (born 1 October 1935) is a Malaysian association football administrator who served as the General Secretary of the Asian Football Confederation
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
from 1978 to 2007.
Biography
Peter Velappan was born in 1935. He studied at the University of BirminghamUniversity of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
, Loughborough College
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He became a teacher in Seremban
Seremban
Seremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, located within the district of Seremban, one of the seven districts of Negeri Sembilan. The town's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Seremban...
, Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan, one of the 13 states that constitutes Malaysia, lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the south....
before joining the Asian Football Confederation
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
(AFC) in 1954. From 1963 to 1980, he was the Assistant Secretary of the Football Association of Malaysia
Football Association of Malaysia
The Football Association of Malaysia is the governing body for football in Malaysia, responsible for organising the Malaysian national football team and the major football and futsal tournaments within the country. The Football Association of Malaysia main headquarters is located at Wisma...
(FAM), during which he introduced professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
ism in the country. In 1972, as Team Manager and Coach, he guided the national team to qualification for the 1972 Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
In 1978, Velappan was appointed General Secretary of the AFC. He oversaw the entry of many member countries into the AFC during his tenure, which also saw Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
host its first ever FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. He was Coordination Director of the Organising Committee of the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He served under three AFC presidents: Malaysians Hamzah Abu Samah
Hamzah Abu Samah
Kambiz Atabay is an Malaysian politician and athlete who was President of Asian Football Confederation from 9 December 1978 to 1 August 1994. Before his election as AFC President, He was a Member of Parliament in Dewan Rakyat, Malaysia's parliament...
(1978–1994), Sultan Ahmad Shah (1994–2002) and Mohamed bin Hammam from Qatar (2002–2007). Velappan retired in 2007.
Velappan remains as Project Director of Vision Asia, a program devoted to popularizing football at the grassroots level in Asia and raising the standards of performance to compete with the rest of the world.
Views
Velappan is known for his outspoken views on the development of Asian football. He famously criticized Asian footballers for their lack of fitness in 2001.He also had a difficult working relationship with AFC President Mohamed bin Hammam towards the end of his tenure as general secretary, after the latter suggested moving the AFC headquarters away from Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
. He campaigned against Bin Hammam during the election for AFC's seat on the FIFA Executive Committee
FIFA Executive Committee
FIFA Executive Committee is an institution of FIFA . It is the main decision-making body of the organization in the intervals of Congress...
in 2009, backing Shaikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa
Shaikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa
His Excellency Shaikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa is the President of the Bahrain Football Association. He is also the Chairman of the Asian Football Confederation Disciplinary Committee and the Deputy Chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.-Background:Shaikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa...
from Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
. Bin Hammam barely won the election. Velappan also publicly slammed Bin Hammam's candidacy during the 2011 FIFA presidential election, citing Bin Hammam's "undemocratic" approach.
Controversies
Velappan caused a minor controversy during the 2004 AFC Asian Cup2004 AFC Asian Cup
The 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing....
when he accused Chinese fans in the Workers Stadium
Workers Stadium
The Workers Stadium , often called Gongti or Gong Ti, is a multi-purpose stadium in the Chaoyang District of north-eastern Beijing, China. It is mostly used for football matches...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
of jeering at VIP guests during the opening ceremony. He chided them as "not polite" and expressed doubts over Beijing's ability to host the Olympics in 2008. When it later emerged that a technical glitch involving the stadium's big screen had mistakenly created the impression that fans were booing at the guests, he apologized.