Princess Haya Urges Immediate Reform and Transparency in Sport

By Christian Radnedge

Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein threw down the gauntlet to sports bodies to introduce term limits and publish their salaries, in what also could be seen as a hint to scandal-hit organisation FIFA.

Princess Haya, the sister of FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali, was speaking in London at the Beyond Sport forum when she appealed for reform at the highest level of sport.

iSportconnect understands that the two-term equestrian chief was heavily involved in Prince Ali’s failed bid to unseat Sepp Blatter earlier this year at the FIFA congress in Zurich.

Since then, seperate US and Swiss investigations into allegations of corruption have blighted world football’s governing body with several officials arrested and documents seized from the official headquarters.

Now, with Blatter serving a 90-day suspension from all football due to an ethics investigation involving a disloyal payment made to Michel Platini, Princess Haya sought solidarity with her family’s push for reform.

“For sport to realise its full positive potential, those who govern must guide and direct,” she said.

“Public trust in sport governance must be re-established. And we’re going to have to work very hard to achieve that because it is plain for all to see that better responsible governance is key. That won’t be easy.

“Believe me I know very well how unpopular a reforming leader can make him or herself. My family seems to be making a habit of it recently. And I know how difficult it can be to push reforms through in the face of resistance.

“Good governance means term limits; it means clear processes, clarity of direction and sometimes the staying power to see through a cultural shift and even one in the strong face of resistance. It means publishing salaries, being transparent in front of those who empower us and chose us to represent them. Sport does not exist in a vacuum. Sport needs to be managed properly.”