Chung elected Oceania president

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) ― David Chung replaced suspended FIFA vice president Reynald Temarii as president of the Oceania Football Confederation Sunday after his two New Zealand opponents for the position withdrew their nominations.

Chung, the president of the Papua New Guinea football association, was elected at the congress of the 11-member confederation at Pago Pago in American Samoa.

New Zealanders Frank van Hattum, chairman of Football New Zealand, and Fred de Jong pulled out of the race to allow Chung’s unopposed election. De Jong retained his position on the OFC executive committee.

Temarii was forced to relinquish the Oceania presidency when he was suspended for 12 months by FIFA’s ethics committee for breaches of regulations governing loyalty and confidentiality during the bidding process for the World Cup in 2018 and 2022.

The Tahitian has appealed his suspension and his fine of 5,000 Swiss francs. The penalties were imposed after a British newspaper filmed Temarii apparently discussing aspects of the World Cup bid process with a group posing as delegates from bidding nations.

Chung, 48, has been acting president since November. He will hold the Oceania presidency for four years and pledged at the start of his tenure Sunday to attempt to unify the diverse confederation of mainly small Pacific states. The Oceania congress was attended by FIFA Presiden Sepp Blatter and FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valck. In an introductory speech, Blatter stressed the importance of the pending vote.