Former police chief wins Thai FA presidency
ByReuters
Published 11/02/2016 at 11:29 GMT
A former police chief was elected on Thursday as president of Thailand's football association (FAT), filling a void left by the FIFA suspension of its former boss pending an ethics investigation.
Eurosport
Image credit: Eurosport
Somyot Poompanmuang, who stepped down as national police chief last year, won 62 out of 72 votes and vowed to clean up Thai football after his election.
Somyot was supported by several Thai football clubs and duty-free magnate Vichai Srivaddahanaprabha, owner of English Premier League table-topper Leicester City.
"Myself and eighteen of my team members who are standing here behind me will do our best in managing the Football Association of Thailand," Somyot said.
Somyot succeeds the controversial Worawi Makudi, a former FIFA executive member who was suspended by the world governing body's ethics watchdog in October over an alleged breach of its ethics code.
Worawi denies wrongdoing.
In July Worawi was found guilty by a Thai court of forgery in his re-election as the head of the Thai football association in 2013.
Worawi was a long-time ally of beleaguered FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Somyot told reporters that he would usher in changes to the FAT.
"I have mentioned before that if I was elected, there would need to be several changes made," he said. "Whatever is good I will keep and I will amend whatever is bad for the association."
Somyot said he would not replace Thai national team coach Kiatisuk Senamuang and also vowed to raise the standard of refereeing.
Though not the national sport, football is big in Thailand and the domestic league has seen a surge in popularity in recent years.
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