SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP) — World football chief Sepp Blatter vowed to fight critics trying to “destroy” FIFA yesterday as he launched a staunch defence of his scandal-tainted organisation.

Speaking before delegates of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in Sao Paulo ahead of FIFA’s 64th Congress, Blatter called for unity against people he described as the “destroyers” of FIFA.

“Show unity and confirm this unity, it’s the best way to reply to all the destructors in the world,” Blatter said.

“They want to destroy, not the game, but they want to destroy the institution, because our institution is too strong,” he added.

Blatter said FIFA was “so strong we are sure they’ll not destroy it”.

Blatter’s rallying cry comes as FIFA faces mounting pressure over its 2010 decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

Major FIFA sponsors Adidas, Sony, Visa and Hyundai have demanded a thorough investigation of claims that Qatari official Mohammed bin Hammam paid millions of dollars in bribes to secure the tiny Gulf state’s victory in the 2022 race.

Blatter is tipped to run for a fifth four-year term as head of FIFA, and could announce his candidacy in the 2015 election at this week’s congress.Swim ace Phelps continues comeback

SANTA CLARA, USA (AFP) — Michael Phelps, the 18-time Olympic champion and 22-time medal winner who came out of retirement in April, continues his comeback next week at the Santa Clara Grand Prix.

USA Swimming announced Phelps was entered for the four-day meet that begins June 19, but did not detail which events he might swim.

The meet is a key warm-up event for the US national championships on August 6-10 at Irvine, California.

That is the American qualifying meet for next year’s World Championships in Russia, which is the last major global swim showdown ahead of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

While Phelps has not confirmed that he is aiming to swim at another Olympics, he and coach Bob Bowman have usually kept tight-lipped about plans even ahead of Phelps’ run to a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Phelps won the 100 butterfly title last month at Charlotte, North Carolina, in his first final since the London Olympics.

Olympic star Van Dyken hurt in Arizona accident

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (AP) — Six-time Olympic gold medallist swimmer Amy Van Dyken was airlifted to a hospital over the weekend after an accident on an all-terrain vehicle left her with no feeling in her feet or legs.

The 46-year-old swimmer, who goes by her married name Van Dyken Rouen, was injured Friday evening, according to a Show Low Police Department report. The ATV she was driving hit a curb in a restaurant parking lot and sent her flying over a drop-off between 1.5 to two meters.

Rouen was found lying on the ground next to the ATV and told EMS personnel she could not move her toes or feel anything touching her legs, the report said. She was strapped to a backboard and airlifted to Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center. A hospital spokeswoman did not immediately return calls for an update on her condition.

A witness at the scene said he saw Rouen launch over the curb and found her unresponsive when he arrived on the scene, the report added. Rouen was not wearing a helmet at the time, but apparently did not suffer head trauma.

Her husband, former Denver Broncos punter Tom Rouen, told police officers he had changed the throttle mechanism on the ATV from a thumb accelerator to a twist accelerator a few days before the accident, though he wasn’t sure if it was a factor in the accident. He also said Amy had not been drinking alcohol that evening.

England beat Belgium at field hockey WCup

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Iain Lewers scored on a penalty shot in the 66th minute to give England a 3-2 victory over Belgium and a place in the semi-finals at the men’s field hockey World Cup tournament yesterday.

A draw in the Group A game would have been enough for Belgium to go through, but England survived a second half onslaught to advance. England will almost certainly face hosts The Netherlands in the semi-finals.

“We defended absolutely brilliantly,” England’s best player Nick Catlin said.

Belgium opened the scoring in the 13th minute through Thomas Briels, but Catlin levelled the score in the 19th, shooting from a metre inside the circle.

England went ahead in the 39th, on another Catlin shot which Ashley Jackson met at the right post and deflected into the top of the net.

With just seven minutes to play, Belgium made it 2-2 on Tanguy Cosyn’s drag-flick and the pressure was back on England. Referees called a penalty for England, and Lewers finished it cleanly into the corner.

In other matches, Group A leader Australia beat India 4-0, but lost captain Mark Knowles to a neck injury. Spain beat Malaysia 5-2 in the same group.

In the women’s World Cup tournament, Australia were held to a 0-0 draw against New Zealand. That eliminated New Zealand, and was enough for Australia to advance to the semi-finals — once Group A winner The Netherlands beat South Korea 3-0 later in the day.