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All India Football Federation president Praful Patel won't contest for the post of the AFC Senior Vice-President at the AFC Elections this year.
The election for the term 2019-2023 will be held at the 29th AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur on April 6. Patel, Indian football's chief, will not stand for the re-election of the AFC Vice-President post.
He, however, has filed his nomination for a seat in the FIFA Council from the AFC and his fate will be decided on April 6.
Patel eyeing FIFA Council
Patel can contest for both seats but he can hold only one of the two posts. Patel appears to have prioritised the bigger FIFA Council membership. If he's elected to the FIFA Council, he will be an AFC Executive Committee member as well.
Patel was elected as the AFC Vice-President for the term 2015-19 and made a Senior Vice-President on April 20, 2016.
As AFC Senior Vice-President, Patel will be most remembered for campaigning for the release of refugee footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi from Thailand.
Al-Araibi, a Bahraini footballer who was granted refugee status by Australia, was arrested in Thailand in November 2018 and faced deportation to Bahrain. Patel wrote to the Thai PM and sought the release of Al-Araibi, who was wrongly accused of vandalism. The extradition case was dropped eventually last month and the 25-year-old was allowed to go back to Australia.
List of candidates:
AFC President and FIFA Vice President (Term 2019 – 2023)
Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa (Bahrain)
Saoud A.Aziz M A Al-Mohannadi (Qatar)
Mohamed Khalfan Matar Saeed Alromaithi (United Arab Emirates)
FIFA Council Members (Term 2019 – 2023)
Mr. Saoud A.Aziz M A Al- Mohannadi (Qatar)
Mr. Khalid Awad A. Althebity (Saudi Arabia)
Mr. Mariano V. Araneta, Jr. (Philippines)
Mr. Chung Mong Gyu (Korea Republic)
HE Du Zhaocai (China PR)
Mr. Praful Patel (India)
Mr. Mehdi Taj (IR Iran)
Mr. Kohzo Tashima (Japan)
AFC Vice Presidents (Term 2019 – 2023)
(West Zone)
Mr. Kosay bin Abdulaziz Al Fawaz (Saudi Arabia)
Mr. Saoud A.Aziz M A Al- Mohannadi (Qatar)
Mr. Hachem Haidar (Lebanon)
(Central Zone)
Mr. Semetei Sultanov (Kyrgyz Republic)
Mr. Mehdi Taj (IR Iran)
(South Zone)
Mr. Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat (Pakistan)
(ASEAN Zone)
Dato' Haji Hamidin bin Haji Mohd Amin (Malaysia)
Dr. Tran Quoc Tuan (Vietnam)
Mr. Zaw Zaw (Myanmar)
(East Zone)
Mr. Ganbaatar Amgalanbaatar (Mongolia)
Mr. Chung Mong Gyu (Korea Republic)
HE Du Zhaocai (China PR)
AFC Female Executive Committee Members (Term 2019 – 2023)
(West Zone)
Ms. Susan R. A Alshalabi (Palestine)
(South Zone)
Ms. Mahfuza Akhter Kiron (Bangladesh)
Ms. Mariyam Mohamed (Maldives)
(ASEAN Zone)
Ms. Kanya Keomany (Laos)
(East Zone)
Ms. Han Un Gyong (DPR Korea)
AFC Executive Committee members (Term 2019 – 2023)
(West Zone)
Mr. Abed-Alkhaliq Masoud Ahmed (Iraq)
Dr. Hamid Mohammed Ali Al-Shaibani (Yemen)
Mr. Luai Ibrahim A. Alsubaiey (Saudi Arabia)
H.E. Sheikh Salem Said Salem Al Wahaibi (Oman)
H.E. Eng. Marwan Bin Ghalita (United Arab Emirates)
Mr. Hachem Haidar (Lebanon)
(Central Zone)
Mr. Sayed Ali Reza Aghazada (Afghanistan)
(South Zone)
Mr. Anura De Silva (Sri Lanka)
Mr. Ugen Tsechup (Bhutan)
(ASEAN Zone)
Dato' Haji Hamidin bin Haji Mohd Amin (Malaysia)
Mr. Lee Boon Aun Winston (Singapore)
Mr. Chris Nikou (Australia)
Dr. Tran Quoc Tuan (Vietnam)
(East Zone)
Mr. Ganbaatar Amgalanbaatar (Mongolia)
