Football
Oliver Caffrey and Ed Jackson 5y

FFA's backing of AFC boss shocking: Hakeem

Hakeem Al-Araibi has slammed the FFA for supporting the re-election bid of controversial Asian football president Sheikh Salman Ibrahim Al-Khalifa.

The FFA has come under-fire following its intention to back Bahraini Sheikh Salman in the Asian Football Confederation''s April 6 election in Malaysia.

Sheikh Salman refused to use his high-profile position to help Bahraini-born Australian player Al-Araibi while he was detained in Thailand for two months.

Al-Araibi said he had been overwhelmed by support from the Australian and Asian football communities, but the FFA's latest decision has left him reeling.

"I am shocked and disappointed that the FFA has decided to continue to support a person who oversaw my detention and torture in Bahrain," Al-Araibi said on Tuesday.

"How can (Sheikh Salman) be a 'fit and proper' leader for football in our region?"

Al-Araibi fled Bahrain in 2012 and was granted refugee status in Australia, but he was detained by Thai authorities on request of the Bahraini government while on his honeymoon in November.

A concerted international campaign, spearheaded by former Socceroo Craig Foster, led to Al-Araibi's release and he has since been granted Australian citizenship.

When Al-Araibi was freed in February, the FFA thanked the Bahrain government for allowing him to return to Australia.

Professional Footballers Australia said it wasn't consulted about the decision by the FFA board.

The AFC claimed Sheikh Salman - a member of Bahrain's royal family - was not responsible for matters regarding the detention of Al-Araibi.

But PFA chief executive John Didulica said Sheikh Salman's inaction made him derelict in his responsibilities to football players.

"The PFA is on record challenging the right of the incumbent to continue in the role of AFC president, let alone serve another term," Didulica said.

Foster has already labelled the FFA's support of Sheikh Salman as "sickening" and "a mockery of any discussion of fundamental values within the game".

FFA chairman Chris Nikou said Sheikh Salman's track record made him a better candidate than opponents, the UAE's Mohamed Khalfan Al Romaithi and Qatar's Saoud A.Aziz A Al-Mohannadi.

Nikou said the association was "acutely aware" of concerns about Sheikh Salman's role in the Al-Araibi affair.

Amnesty Australia's Tim O'Connor said Nikou could be risking breaching the FFA's own human rights policy.

"Sheikh Salman has been linked to serious human rights abuses in Bahrain," O'Connor said.

"Rather than address these issues, (the FFA) have chosen to prioritise financial growth over standing up for what's right."

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