Architect of Asian football dies
administrator parexcellence Datuk Peter Velappan died yesterday.
The former Asian Football Confederation (AFC) general secretary was 83.
AFC president Shaikh Salman Ebrahim Al Khalifa said: “On behalf of the entire Asian football family, I send my condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the family of one of the most important architects of growing the game in Asia.
“Peter served Asian football with passion and professionalism, and the news of his passing will shock and sadden all those who are involved in our great game on this continent.
He deserves immense credit for everything that he achieved with the AFC and beyond,” said Shaikh Salman on www.theafc.com yesterday.
AFC general secretary Datuk Windsor Paul noted: “Peter’s vision for Asian football has been an inspiration, and his achievements both at the AFC and at the FA of Malaysia (FAM) stand as a monument to his love of the game.
“Peter set the standards to which everyone in Asian football aspires. He was dedicated to grassroots football and the development of the game in Asia.”
FAM president Datuk Hamidin Amin added: “Peter’s services and sacrifices for the past 40 years will be remembered forever.”
Born in 1935, he studied in the United Kingdom and Canada before becoming a teacher in Seremban and subsequently became FAM assistant general secretary in 1963.
He served as FAM assistant general secretary until 1980 as well as being team manager to the national team when they qualified for the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972.
In 1978, Peter became the AFC general secretary. 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 in 2002.
As the longest-serving general secretary in AFC history, he served under three presidents — Tan Sri Hamzah Abu Samah (1978-1994), Sultan Ahmad Shah (1994-2002) and Qatari Mohamad Hamman — before he retired in 2007. Jugjet Singh