Football governors hit by China earthquake- 15 May 2008 09:20:00
A number of football’s most high profile global governors, including FIFA members Mohamed Bin Hammam and vice president Jack Warner, were caught up in the earthquake that hit South China this week.
Hammam, who is president of the Asian Football Confederation, and Warner, who heads up the counterpart governing body in South America as well as being FIFA vice president, were part of a delegation visiting the Chinese province of Sichuan when the 7.8 level earthquake hit.
The 30-strong delegation, which also included FIFA strategic consultant Peter Hargitay and several presidents of Asian FAs, were forced to evacuate a press conference they were holding in a local hotel when the earthquake hit.
Similarly, the jet plane containing the football leaders left Chengdu airport only 15 minutes before a massive after-shock hit the venue.
In a brief telephone call to a colleague, Warner is said to have commented that he ‘saw death’ during the evacuation.
According to a Caribbean newspaper, Warner described himself as being ‘dazed’ by the incident.
He stated: ‘I was there dressed just lying on my bed for a couple of minutes before going to another meeting and suddenly I felt the room moving left to right. Mirrors were falling and I felt as though my room on the 31st floor was almost going down to road level and back up.
‘I heard screams throughout this which lasted for about five minutes. I was dazed and stunned literally. I didn’t move. I just lay on the bed. Then the phone rang and they told me to just get down. I collapsed outside because my knees were out after coming down the stairs.’
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