Raymond Hack, a long-time pillar of Golden Gloves and an associate of Rodney Berman, has just secured a major position at Fifa, world soccer’s governing body.
Hack has been appointed chairman of Fifa’s Players Status Committee, an august position that puts him in charge of the transfer of every player worldwide, plus any resulting disputes.
It’s the first time that someone who doesn’t sit on the executive has been appointed to such a position.
“I’m delighted,” said Hack, speaking from Gabon in his capacity as chairman of the Caf Disciplinary Committee ahead of the African Cup of Nations that begins on Saturday. “I received the appointment on the basis of my work with Caf, which I have done since 2005. They have been very supportive and this, I believe, is indicative of much of the good work done by the Confederation of African Football.”
Berman, who shares a PA with Hack (who is also an attorney), paid tribute to his former Golden Gloves partner. “Few people work as hard as he does for soccer. His life is a blur of meetings, airports and hotels across the world. I don’t know where he gets the energy, but this appointment is due reward for a great servant of the game.”
Hack used to be a member of Fifa’s disciplinary committee, having been involved with the federation for the past 12 years, making him one of South Africa’s most senior statesmen in world sport.
“I wouldn’t have been here if Dr Irvin Khoza and Molephi Oliphant hadn’t believed in me,” said Hack, who was a former CEO of the SA Football Association.
His CV is laden with top positions, including being a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the Anti-Doping Committee for Sascoc – Athens Olympics, Chairperson for Fifa Disciplinary Committee Beijing Olympics, member of the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Switzerland – Arbitrator dealing in matters of Sport, director of the Fifa 2010 World Cup South Africa Local Organising Committee and Fifa Disciplinary Committee, member of the Board of the SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) from inception and member of the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Drug Appeals Board.
Hack has accomplished significant milestones in his career by winning the 2009 Safa Presidential Award for Contribution to Sport and the 2010 Fifa 2010 SA World Cup LOC Award.
In 2010, he was appointed honorary life member of Maccabi and reappointed to serve on the Sascoc Medical and Anti-Doping Committee in 2011.
“I’m probably not in the running for any Father of the Year awards because I’m away so much, but my family has been terrific. I’m also married to road running, which I’ll continue to do whenever I get the chance,” he quipped.
