{{Short description|Malaysian association football administrator (1935–2018)}} {{EngvarB|date=December 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Peter Velappan | image = | fullname = | birth_date = {{birth date|1935|10|1|df=yes}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|10|20|1935|10|1|df=yes}} | death_place = | height = | position = | currentclub = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = | years2 = | years3 = – | clubs1 = | clubs2 = | clubs3 = | caps1 = | goals1 = | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | manageryears1 = 1968–1968 | managerclubs1 = Malaysia national football team | manageryears2 = | managerclubs2 = }}

Dato' '''Peter Velappan''' (1 October 1935 – 20 October 2018) was a Malaysian association football administrator who served as the General Secretary of the Asian Football Confederation from 1978 to 2007.

== Biography == Peter Velappan was born in 1935. He studied at the University of Birmingham, Loughborough College in the United Kingdom, and McGill University in Canada. He began his career as a teacher in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, before joining the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 1954. From 1963 to 1980, he served as Assistant Secretary of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), during which he played a key role in introducing professionalism to Malaysian football. In 1972, as team manager and coach, he led the national team to qualify for the 1972 Olympics in Munich.<ref name="ocm">{{cite web |title=Dato' Peter Velappan |url=http://www.olympic.org.my/museum/hof/ind/dpv.htm |publisher=Olympic Council of Malaysia |accessdate=12 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412093723/http://www.olympic.org.my/museum/hof/ind/dpv.htm |archive-date=12 April 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1978, Velappan was appointed General Secretary of the AFC.<ref name="ocm"/> He oversaw the entry of many member countries into the AFC during his tenure, which also saw Asia host its first ever FIFA World Cup.<ref name="ocm"/><ref name="scb">{{cite web |title=Peter Velappan: The man behind the Asian resurgence in soccer |url=http://www.soccerblog.com/2006/09/peter_velappan_the_man_behind.htm |publisher=SoccerBlog.com |date=4 September 2006 |last=McKean |first=Ian |accessdate=12 May 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130202145849/http://www.soccerblog.com/2006/09/peter_velappan_the_man_behind.htm |archive-date=2 February 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was Coordination Director of the Organising Committee of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan.<ref name="retire">{{cite news |title=AFC General Secretary Velappan to retire |url=http://livedraw.the-afc.com/en/news-centre/member-association-news/309-malaysia/7522 |publisher=the-afc.com |date=28 November 2008 |accessdate=12 May 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204001420/http://livedraw.the-afc.com/en/news-centre/member-association-news/309-malaysia/7522 |archive-date=4 February 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He served under three AFC presidents: Malaysians Hamzah Abu Samah (1978–1994), Sultan Ahmad Shah (1994–2002) and Mohamed bin Hammam from Qatar (2002–2007). Velappan retired in 2007.<ref name="retire"/><ref name="fifa">{{cite news |title=Fifa will be doomed if Mohamed Bin Hammam wins the presidency elections against Sepp Blatter - former AFC general secretary Peter Velappan |url=http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2931/go-global/2011/03/22/2405901/fifa-will-be-doomed-if-mohamed-bin-hammam-wins-the |publisher=Goal.com |date=22 March 2011 |last=Bali |first=Rahul |accessdate=12 May 2011}}</ref>

Velappan remained as Project Director of Vision Asia, a program devoted to popularising football at the grassroots level in Asia and raising the standards of performance to compete with the rest of the world.<ref name="scb"/><ref name="retire"/> He died on 20 October 2018, aged 83.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.malaymail.com/s/1684888/former-afc-secretary-general-peter-velappan-dies|title=Former AFC secretary general Peter Velappan dies &#124; Malay Mail}}</ref>

== Views == Velappan was known for his outspoken views on the development of Asian football. He famously criticised Asian footballers for their lack of fitness in 2001.<ref name="bbc1">{{cite news |title=Velappan targets high five |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/other_news/newsid_1747000/1747330.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=11 April 2002 |access-date=12 May 2011}}</ref>

He also had a difficult working relationship with AFC President Mohamed bin Hammam towards the end of his tenure as general secretary, after the latter suggested moving the AFC headquarters away from Kuala Lumpur.<ref name="espn1">{{cite news |title=Velappan rules out AFC return |url=http://www.espnstar.com/football/other-football/news/detail/item248241/Velappan-rules-out-AFC-return/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406195654/http://www.espnstar.com/football/other-football/news/detail/item248241/Velappan-rules-out-AFC-return/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=6 April 2012 |publisher=espnstar.com |date=17 April 2009 |accessdate=12 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Football: Velappan warns AFC members may quit |url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_sports/view/427143/1/.html |publisher=Channel NewsAsia |date=5 May 2009 |accessdate=12 May 2011 |archive-date=22 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022220642/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_sports/view/427143/1/.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> He campaigned against Bin Hammam during the election for AFC's seat on the FIFA Executive Committee in 2009, backing Shaikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa from Bahrain.<ref name="espn1"/> Bin Hammam barely won the election.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hammam survives close election |url=http://www.espnstar.com/football/other-football/news/detail/item262670/Hammam-survives-close-election/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406195759/http://www.espnstar.com/football/other-football/news/detail/item262670/Hammam-survives-close-election/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=6 April 2012 |publisher=espnstar.com |date=8 May 2009 |accessdate=12 May 2011}}</ref> Velappan also publicly slammed Bin Hammam's candidacy during the 2011 FIFA presidential election, citing Bin Hammam's "undemocratic" approach.<ref name="fifa"/>

==Controversies== Velappan caused a minor controversy during the 2004 AFC Asian Cup when he accused Chinese fans in the Workers Stadium in Beijing of jeering at VIP guests during the opening ceremony. He chided them as "not polite" and expressed doubts over Beijing's ability to host the Olympics in 2008.<ref>{{cite news |title=Soccer Fans: Mr.Velappan, Please Apologise! |url=http://www.china.org.cn/english/sports/101576.htm |publisher=China.org.cn |date=19 July 2004 |accessdate=12 May 2011}}</ref> When it later emerged that a technical glitch involving the stadium's big screen had mistakenly created the impression that fans were booing at the guests, he apologised.<ref>{{cite news |title=Velappan backtracks |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/07/20/d40720042153.htm |publisher=The Daily Star (Bangladesh) |work=Agence France Presse |date=20 July 2004 |accessdate=12 May 2011}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{Malaysia national football team managers}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Velappan, Peter}} Category:1935 births Category:2018 deaths Category:Malaysian people of Indian descent Category:Association football executives Category:Asian Football Confederation officials Category:Malaysian football managers