Former Fiji Football boss dies at 81
The man who was the Fiji Football Association president for about 25 years is no longer with us. Muhammed Shamsud- Dean Sahu Khan died in Auckland, New Zealand, on Wednesday.
Sahu Khan, 81, was the long-serving Fiji FA president and Oceania Football Confederations executive committee member.
Fondly known as ‘Doc’ his involvement in football began as Fiji FA vice-president in 1971 before he was elected as Fiji FA president in 1985 and finally gave it up in 2010.
His work in football extends much further as a valued member of OFC’s board of directors for 29 years from 1983 to 2012. He was once the OFC treasurer. Dr Sahu Khan also served as deputy chairman of the Federation Internationale de Football Association’s (FIFA) disciplinary committee.
OFC general secretary Franck Castillo said they are mourning the death of a former colleague.
“On behalf of OFC, I’d like to thank Dr Sahu Khan for his contribution to football in the Pacific,” he said.
“We send our sincerest condolences to his family and the entire Fiji football community during this time.”
Despite, Sahu Khan’s involvement in football this was not reflected in the development of the sport in the country.
Our national men’s football team’s world ranking sunk to its lowest at one stage and the development of women and youth football in the country were almost stagnant.
On November 6, 2011, the Sunday Star Times reported that Sahu Khan was investigated by FIFA.
He lost the Oceania’s key finance position and was ousted from the FIFA disciplinary committee. Also, Fiji lost the rights to host an Olympic qualifying tournament.
The probe from FIFA came after Sahu Khan was disbarred by the Independent Legal Services Commission in Fiji and was banned from holding a practising certificate for 10 years.
He was found guilty of professional misconduct following hearings over complaints by clients. Commissioner John Connors labelled the former Ba lawyer’s conduct a disgrace.
Although Dr Sahu Khan had been in New Zealand since 2011, the New Zealand Law Society Lawyers Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal had earlier declined his application for a practising certificate since there was a ban in place in Fiji.
However, the Tribunal upheld his appeal and a notification issued on April 3, 2014 said, that he could practice as a barrister, meaning that he can appear at New Zealand courts on any legal matter, including criminal, civil, commercial, family and other cases.
Career-driven as a barrister, Sahu Khan graduated with a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Auckland, New Zealand in 1963 before attaining his Master of Laws a year later.