January 12 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is gathering its national association general secretaries in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for their annual conference that begins tomorrow (Thursday).
The conference is a mix of informational sessions on the AFCs programmes for member associations as well as encouraging broader longer-term objectives and creating the culture for advancement of member nations, particularly on a performance level on the global stage.
AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John will open the three-day conference with a presentation on the AFC’s ambitions to elevate the standards of Asian football.
The forum will then progress to practical meetings including a ground-breaking session on Creating the Learning Culture that develops the next generation of Asia’s football leaders, which will be led by Kleinmann Wang CEO, Anter Isaac.
Senior Partner & Managing Director at Double Pass, Koen Put, will give participants the opportunity to enhance their capabilities on the first day through the Team Value Management and Talent Development session.
The importance of developing a global perspective will be the focus of a special presentation by Hicham Al Amrani, the former General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football and CEO and Founder of HEA Sports Management & Consulting who will give an in-depth presentation on the African-Asian Perspective.
The AFC Deputy General Secretary – Member Associations, Vahid Kardany will present the AFC’s development programmes and landmark policies on good governance, the recently launched AFC Academic Centre of Excellence (ACE), the Confederation’s continued commitment towards social responsibility. FIFA Council Member and Romanian Football Federation President Răzvan Burleanu will present the UEFA Assist programme to AFC members.
Still looking towards Europe, Dorian Esterer, CEO of the Football Business Academy – the AFC’s academic partner – will emphasise on the importance of continuous learning, while former UEFA Head of Asia – Europe Affairs, Alex Phillips, will examine Asia’s ability to close the gap with European football.
Saudi Arabia has activated a rapid football expansion programme both within the country but also hosting major events, and delegates will attend the Spanish Super Cup final being hosted this weekend Riyadh. Saudi is also a bid nation for the hosting of the 2027 Asian Cup.
Ibrahim S. Alkassim, General Secretary of Saudi Arabian Football Federation, will present a session on the country’s National Football Vision. Legacy and development themes will also be picked up by Common Goal co-founder Jürgen Griesbeck who will give practical examples of football’s ability to leave a positive and meaningful legacy across marginalised communities.
At the core of the AFC’s focus is improving its competitions, many of which the AFC has expanded despite the challenges of the global pandemic. AFC Deputy General Secretary – Football, Shin Man Gil, delivers his presentation on the future of the AFC’s competitions.
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