Politics first for Worawi after CAS reprieve
Former Football Association of Thailand president Worawi Makudi has no plans to rush back to football and will prioritise next month’s General Election instead after his three-and-a-half-year ban was rescinded by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday.
Worawi was suspended from all football-related activities in October 2016 for five years following his conviction for forgery in a Thai court and for failing to cooperate with a FIFA investigation.
“I feel delighted and thankful for the justice the Court of Arbitration for Sport has given me. I also have to thank the Thai Appeal Court for ruling me innocent earlier,” said Worawi, who was FAT chief between 2007-2015.
The 67-year-old former FIFA executive member has since switched his attention to politics and is the Prachachart Party’s list candidate No 3 in the March 24 election.
He has yet to consider a rerun for the FAT presidency next year.
“Actually I’m always ready and willing to work in the area of sports for the community at large but I haven’t thought about running for the presidency of the Football Association of Thailand yet,” he added.
“However at this point I’m thinking of working in sports according to the policy [of his party]. We will focus on laying foundations at the beginning level, which will lead to stronger development in sports in the future,” he added.
Asked if the CAS’s decision would benefit him in the election, Worawi said: “I believe people will understand things that have happened to me. But the most important thing is I have proved my innocence from the decision of the CAS and Thai Appeal Court.”
FIFA imposed the ban on Worawi for alleged wrongdoing during a FAT election.
Worawi’s punishment was reduced to a reprimand and his fine halved to 5,000 Swiss francs (Bt 156,000) fine for failing to cooperate with FIFA investigators.
