September 12 – With Europe’s big leagues and clubs talking about big money games in foreign jurisdictions, club share sales and huge transfer fees, the AFC Social Responsibility Conference 2018 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, provided a timely reminder that football has a far more important role than providing even more money for the super rich.
The conference was a follow-up to the highly-successful AFC-English Premier League joint conference in Hong Kong last year, which brought together some of the world’s leading non-profit organisations to examine the positive impact of football to empower some of the Asian continent’s most vulnerable communities.
In his opening speech, AFC Social Responsibility Committee Chairman, Ahmed Eid S. Al Harbi said: “Football continues to make a difference in many parts of Asia and the AFC is determined to do more. We are fully committed towards strengthening our partnership with the world’s best organisations to enhance the quality and reach of our programmes.
“Together, I am confident we can fulfil our purpose to serve the people in Asia who need us the most and to create a brighter and better future for tomorrow’s generation through football.”
The Asian Football Confederation’s Vision and Mission to use football as a force for social development is a core value of the AFC and the conference focussed on the five key strategic pillars outlined in that mission statement – children and young people, integrity and education, social inclusion, health and humanitarian relief.
Participants included speakers from Coaches Across Continents, Sportradar, United Way Worldwide (Asia Pacific), International Federation of CP Football, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Rohingya Education Centre (Malaysia).
The conference also provided a platform to review the extensive assistance and positive impact of the AFC Dream Asia Foundation, with a particular focus on its legacy projects in the AFC Village in Tacloban, Philippines, and the rebuilding of the Shree Seti Devi Higher Secondary School, in Sindhupalchowk, Nepal.
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