Asian soccer after corporate cash

Asian soccer after corporate cash

SINGAPORE (AP): Asian soccer will seek more corporate money to bolster its growth but will avoid losing control to television and sponsors, the sport's top regional official said yesterday.

"We need television. We need sponsors. But we want healthy relationships," said Peter Velappan, general secretary of the Asian Football Confederation. "Football is for sale but not its soul."

Velappan was addressing a news conference on next week's Football Expo '98, billed as the sport's first worldwide trade show. More than 600 participants are expected, including FIFA head Joseph Blatter and other top-level officials.

"We should really look at the American sports model, particularly the NBA," Velappan said. "There are a lot of lessons to be learned."

But at the same time, he added, "We don't want to be like an American game where they are totally dependent on television and sponsors."

As an example, he cited the potential profits from pay-per- view television as opposed to the need to ensure that at least some high-profile games are available to the general public.

Velappan noted Asian soccer's long history. All 45 countries belong to his federation and huge sellout crowds were on hand for qualifying matches that resulted in four teams making the World Cup finals this year for the first time, he said.

But it has been hard to create a united front with the large geographical, religious, political and social differences in a region that is home to half the world's population.

"The next development decade belongs to Asia," Velappan said. "We'd like to tap these industries. China is a new emerging market. India is a sleeping giant."