[1] 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.
[1][2] He was Coordination Director of the Organising Committee of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
[3] 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).
[4] 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.
[10] 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.