September 28 – The AFC Development Committee has approved seven member association applications for its Enhance Programme that provides services to support and help MAs develop their operations.
Under chairperson Yasser H. Almisehal, the Qatar Football Association, the Lebanese Football Association, The Football Association of Thailand, Tajikistan Football Federation, Lao Football Federation, The Football Association of Hong Kong, China Limited all had submission approved, while the committee also greenlighted the AFC Enhance Programme – Extra-Time proposal from the Kyrgyz Football Union.
Meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the committee said that the programme was proving game changing within the region “in transforming the standards of Asian football with as many as 34 AFC Member Associations (MAs) poised to benefit from the breakthrough programme and close to $20 million in funding approved in 2023.”
To date 17 MAs have applied for the AFC Enhance Member Association Programme – Advantage, with another six MAs requesting assistance under the Extra-Time Programme.
The committee also noted that all the AFC’s Regional Associations have applied for the Enhance Programme, with more than $2.1million in funding approved since 2021.
Education expanded
Improving the skillsets of Asia’s future football leaders has been the core mission of the AFC Academic Centre of Excellence (ACE), which has now seen almost 250 participants graduate from the AFC Football Management Certificate and AFC Football Management Diploma programmes since their inauguration in September 2021.
The Development Committee also received a report on the progress of the AFC ACE’s latest initiatives – the AFC Certificate in Football Leadership and the AFC Certificate in Child Safeguarding – which have reportedly been well received and are gathering momentum within both national and regional associations.
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