• Source: Husain Al-Musallam

      • Husain AHZ Al-Musallam (Arabic: حسين المسلم; born 19 May 1960) is a Kuwaiti sports administrator and former airline pilot. He currently serves as the Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia and the Secretary General of the Kuwait Olympic Committee. In addition to his roles within the Olympic movement, Al-Musallam is the President of World Aquatics. His career has been marked by controversy, notably his implication in international sports corruption scandals, including the FIFA bribery scandal.
      Husain Al-Musallam, President of World Aquatics, continues to significantly impact aquatic sports, particularly in maintaining integrity and fair play. In preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Al-Musallam highlighted the organization's comprehensive anti-doping measures, underlining World Aquatics' dedication to clean competition. Since January 2024, 2,145 anti-doping tests were conducted, making this the most extensive testing program in Olympic history, overseen by the International Testing Agency (ITA).
      Al-Musallam also commended China's dominance in aquatic sports during the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, where Chinese athletes won 23 gold medals. He emphasized China's rising role as a key host for major international sporting events.
      His efforts to globalize and promote aquatic sports were recognized by the United States Olympic Committee, which honored him during the 2024 Paris Olympics for his contribution to expanding the sport's reach worldwide.
      Husain Al-Musallam has made significant strides in promoting aquatic sports on a global level. His presidency at World Aquatics has been marked by numerous achievements, underpinned by his dedication to inclusivity, sustainability, and athlete welfare.
      One of his notable contributions includes spearheading World Aquatics' commitment to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework. This initiative, signed during the 2024 Paris Olympics, showcases World Aquatics' commitment to addressing climate change and promoting sustainability in sports. By aligning with the UN's goals, Al-Musallam has positioned aquatic sports as a key player in global environmental efforts, emphasizing the importance of protecting water bodies crucial for the sport’s future.
      Al-Musallam has been a champion of athlete empowerment and governance reform. Under his leadership, World Aquatics became the first international federation to establish democratic elections for athletes, ensuring their voices are heard at the highest levels of decision-making.
      Additionally, Al-Musallam has worked to elevate aquatic sports in emerging regions. His recognition of China's dominance in aquatic sports and his leadership in overseeing an extensive anti-doping program for the 2024 Paris Olympics reflects his dedication to ensuring clean and competitive aquatic sports globally.


      Early life and career


      Mussallam was born on 19 May 1960 in Kuwait. He joined the swimming club of Kazma Sports Club at the age of 8 and became a member of the national team at 13. Between 1974 and 1976, he competed in all Pan-Arab, Asian and World Swimming Championships.
      In 1978 he joined Kuwait Airways Corporation as a co-pilot and promoted to airline captain in 1988. He worked as a training and check captain since 1994.
      He joined the Olympic Council of Asia on 25 December 1982, and became Deputy Director General and Technical Director in December 1998. He joined the OCA Executive Board on 23 January 2003. He is serving as the Director General since September 2005.
      In 2015 he was elected as First Vice President of International Swimming Federation (FINA).
      On 30 June 2019 he was elected as the Secretary General of Kuwait Olympic Committee.
      Hussain signed a MoU Hungarian government officials for the development of aquatic sports and the location of the World Aquatics headquarters.
      In July 2023, Husain Al-Musallam was elected to a new eight-year term as the president of the World Aquatics organization, marking his position as the first individual from Asia to lead the organization. In 2020, he also became its first nominee from the continent. His presidency has introduced significant reforms within the organization, such as the creation of an Aquatics unit, substantial modifications to regulations concerning athletes' nationality changes, and the adoption of a revised Constitution. This new Constitution includes modifications to term limits, which were made more lenient during the tenure of his predecessor.
      On December 3, 2023, the General Assembly of the Kuwait Olympic Committee announced the selection of a new board of Directors for the term 2023–2027. During the meeting, Husain Al Musallam was elected as the Secretary-General for a five-year tenure.


      = World Aquatics

      =
      Husain Al-Musallam was elected as the President of the international aquatics federation, formerly known as FINA, after having served as its First Vice President for six years. During his candidacy, he pledged to implement a comprehensive reform programme. Subsequent to his election, several notable changes have been enacted:

      The organization has undergone a name change and rebranding, now recognized as World Aquatics.
      The establishment of an Aquatics Integrity Unit.
      The formation of an Athletes' Committee, which is elected by the athletes themselves.
      The announcement of plans to relocate the World Aquatics headquarters from Lausanne to a newly established centre of excellence in Budapest.
      In December 2022, a resolution was passed to increase the representation of women on the Bureau to at least 40%.
      Following the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, Husain Al-Musallam and World Aquatics received praise for the organization of the water sports.
      Husain Al-Musallam, the President of World Aquatics, continues to make notable contributions to the world of aquatic sports. Recently, he defended World Aquatics' anti-doping measures in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics, showcasing the organization’s commitment to clean competition. Al-Musallam played a key role in overseeing 2,145 anti-doping tests since January 2024, making this the most comprehensive testing program in the history of the games.


      Awards and international recognition


      In October 2008, he received the Award of Merit from the Pan American Sports Organization.
      In February 2019, he received an Honorary Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy, Honoris Causa in Sports Science from Kookmin University.
      On May 25, 2023, Husain was granted the esteemed title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the Vassil Levski National Sports Academy in Bulgaria. Preceding him, IOC President Mr. Thomas Bach also received the accolade on September 14, 2018.
      On the 26th of August 2024, Husain Al-Musallam received the prestigious Egyptian NOC Award by the Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sport. This awards recognizes Al-Musallam's exceptional leadership and dedication to the development of aquatic sports globally.
      In recognition of his efforts to globalize and promote aquatic sports, Al-Musallam was honored by the United States Olympic Committee during the Paris 2024 Olympics. This accolade reflects his dedication to expanding the reach of aquatic sports worldwide.


      Controversy




      = Implication in FIFA bribery scandal

      =
      In May 2017, The Times identified Hussain Al-Musallam as "co-conspirator #3" in a US Department of Justice indictment of Richard Lai, a former member of FIFA's Audit and Compliance Committee and head of the Guam Football Association. In his guilty plea, Richard Lai admitted to accepting $750,000 in wire transfers from accounts controlled by "co-conspirator #3 or his assistants. The OCA, in a written statement to The Times, denied the allegations and "asked the OCA ethics committee to carry out a full review."
      In August 2023, Husein Al-Musallam was named in US court documents as having received over 7 million British Pounds in payments from the State of Qatar at his Qatar National Bank account in Singapore as bribes and for facilitation of further bribe payments to FIFA officials.


      U.S. Department of Justice investigation


      In September 2021, the Associated Press reported that Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Sabah and Hussain Al-Musallam have been targeted by the U.S. Department of Justice for suspected racketeering and bribery related to FIFA and international soccer politics. According to the AP, in 2017, the US embassy in Kuwait formally requested evidence from the country, including bank account information for the two officials, who have been identified as potential co-conspirators. American prosecutors "told their Kuwaiti counterparts they wanted to establish if the suspects made other payments to [Richard] Lai, or if their accounts were used to wire possible bribe payments to other soccer officials."


      = IOC Ethics Investigation into Alleged Commission Request

      =
      In July 2017, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Ethics Commission launched an investigation into Husain Al-Musallam, in his capacity as the Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), following allegations reported by The Times, Der Spiegel, and SwimVortex. These reports accused Al-Musallam of attempting to secure a 10% commission from potential sponsorship contracts. The controversy stemmed from a recorded conversation, released by journalist Jens Weinreich, which documented a meeting between Al-Musallam and a Chinese marketing agent. During this meeting, Al-Musallam is heard proposing that he and OCA president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah receive 10% of any OCA sponsorship deals for the Asian Games as a 'commission'.


      References

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