FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Status quo or change? Future in the hands of 72 clubs

Status quo or change? Future in the hands of 72 clubs

The election for the post of president of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) on Thursday will be one of the most significant events in the affairs of sports in Thailand.

For the first time, it will be held under a new Fifa charter. Only 72 of 184 club members will be eligible to cast their votes. 
The voters comprise 18 Thai Premier League (TPL) clubs, 18 League One teams, six winners and runners-up of Division B, Division C and D Cups, and 30 regional league teams.
Importantly, an election commission will be appointed to organise the election instead of the FAT itself to make it fair and transparent.
The poll is a two-horse race between outgoing president Worawi Makudi and Virach Chanpanich, a former national team manager and the man credited for Thailand’s success in the 1990s.
In the past, Worawi, who is fighting for his fourth successive term in office, was a shoo-in. But this time, either side could win the election.
Many football critics are divided into two camps. One camp believes that Worawi will secure a fourth term. While the other camp sounded out voters and found that the challenger has more support than Worawi. However, it’s hard to predict who will vote for a particular candidate because it is going to be a secret ballot.
Virach’s campaign focused on how to develop Thai football national team and make the country reach the 2022 World Cup Finals in Qatar while Worawi promised to give more financial support and extend benefits to TPL clubs and regional league.
Looking at both the campaigns, it appears that Worawi’s pitch is more attractive to the eligible voters than Virach, who has become a public favourite.
It is widely known that Worawi, one of the executive members of Pheu Thai party, is backed by the ruling party, while Virach is supported by Buriram United president Newin Chidchob, who is languishing in the opposition.
A few days ago, Newin condemned the efforts to politicise the election. “Right now, there are people trying to link politics, political parties, status and power to the FA election. There is also an attempt to use media to paint the election as a direct battle between Thaksin [Shinawatra] and me,” Newin said in a statement on his club’s website, buriramunited.co.th last Wednesday.
Politics and sports are like twin brothers in Thailand. That 18 of the TPL clubs are chaired or backed by national and local politicians is a veritable truth.
But if Newin’s claim is true and that the presidential election is going to be more of a general election, then it will be sad for the state of football in the country.
The future of Thai football is in the hands of the 72 clubs. They have to decide who will serve Thai football better. They have to choose between status quo and change.
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