AusLeisure

Former Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Mohamed bin Hammam has vowed to fight his life ban from football after labelling the decision as an act of "revenge" by FIFA and its President Sepp Blatter.
FIFA imposed the ban on Saturday after its Ethics Committee found the suspended football executive guilty of bribery in his campaign to replace Blatter at the helm of world football's governing body.
Bin Hammam, who did not attend the hearing, denies the allegations and plans to clear his name by launching several appeals, including at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Bin Hammam told the BBC's Sportsweek radio programme "the ban for life, that shows how much these people are angry, how much they are full of revenge.
"The first step for me is the appeals committee of FIFA which is another kangaroo court. Then after that when we go to CAS things are going to be much improved. At that time I think FIFA will not have the full stage themselves. Then I should go to the civil courts in Switzerland where we have full confidence to make the necessary justice."
According to The Associated Press, Bin Hammam also claimed that FIFA has not yet outlined the charges against him.
Bin Hammam added "we wrote to FIFA about 10 days back asking them what the accusations (are) against Bin Hammam because so far there are no accusations known to us.
"Surprisingly, after some days, maybe one or two days before the trial, FIFA wrote back to my lawyers, telling them you will be know the accusations on the 22nd (July). From that we knew that FIFA has already taken (the decision), they just wanted the platform to announce it."
Chuck Blazer, the man who first blew the whistle on the FIFA bribery scandal, welcomed the life ban for Bin Hammam stating "I learned through some members that cash was being offered to members of our confederation for their votes and to me that's about as bad a situation as I can imagine. I believe vote-buying is unacceptable and I felt that had to be said widely and clearly and I am very glad the ethics committee has confirmed that, regarding bribery, we have zero tolerance. It sets a precedent and one that I fully support."
Blazer, who added that the decision marked "a very good day for football" added "the fact we have suffered suspensions is sad but it will send notice to anybody else that might be considering that type of corrupt activity that FIFA is not the place to try it...I had also worked with (former FIFA vice-president) Jack Warner for 21 years but over the past few years as I looked started to look at certain things I felt very uncomfortable. This was not the way we conducted things in the past."

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