China's Du Zhaocai elected as FIFA council member

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Du Zhaocai, deputy minister of China's State General Administration of Sport, was elected as a FIFA council member at the Asian Football Confederation Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Saturday.

Du was chosen among Asia's six representatives who will serve on the council for the next four-year term until 2023.

He was joined by India's Praful Patel, Japan's Kohzo Tashima, Mariano V. Areneta Jr of the Philippines and Saoud A. Aziz M A Al-Mohannadi of Qatar.

Earlier, each of the five male members secured a simple majority after the first round of voting.

Mahfuza Akhter Kiron of Bangladesh joined them after securing the simple majority required when she obtained the most votes in the elections for the FIFA female council position.

Ganbaatar Amgalanbaatar of Mongolia was elected as the new Asian Football Confederation (AFC) vice president for the East Zone.

Du Zhaocai (C) during the sixth edition of FIFA Medical Conference in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 6, 2019. /VCG File Photo

Du withdrew his AFC candidacy after being elected a FIFA council member. His election shows the Chinese Football Association's positive role in international and Asian football affairs as the election marks an important step for the reform of the Asian Football Association.

After his election, Du said, "I hope I can bring advanced international concepts and theories for football management into China by this platform to find a way that is in accordance with international football development and suitable for the current situation of Chinese football. I think Chinese football can progress continuously by my work at the China Football Association and at the FIFA Council."

Meanwhile, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa was re-elected unopposed as president of the AFC after the regional body's congress confirmed a new four-year term for the Bahraini. The 53-year-old, who was not present at the meeting due to the death of his mother earlier in the week, was handed a third term after his rivals withdrew.

Sheik Salman will extend his reign as president until at least 2023 and will therefore complete a 10-year tenure in charge of the 47-member continental body.

(With inputs from Xinhua)