November 11 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Grassroots Panel gathered in Kuala Lumpur with one clear message coming out of it – Asia’s football revolution still starts from the ground up.
Held on the eve of the 4th AFC Grassroots Football Conference, the meeting brought together development experts and technical leaders to take stock of progress, swap ideas, and set the next targets for the continent’s fast-growing grassroots game.
Under the supervision of AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh, the topics of discussion zeroed in on expanding the AFC Grassroots Charter, now counting 44 Member Associations.
News from the conference suggests that the confederation has considered fresh applications from nations looking to raise their standards in youth participation, coaching, and community engagement – dipping their toes into the AFC’s budget to do so.
The discussions cut to the core of the game’s biggest challenges in the region – how to keep young players in the sport longer, grow women’s and girls’ participation, and build stronger pathways for coaches and volunteers.
A new AFC survey on youth development also sparked debate around football’s wider social impact, including inclusion and health benefits – though the specific details were kept under wraps.
This year’s AFC Grassroots Football Day stood out as a symbol of that progress. Celebrated for the first time on May 23, to align with the UN’s World Football Day, it drew more than 31,000 participants across the continent – a figure the AFC were delighted with.
The official AFC breakdown of the panel added that it reflected on the AFC Awards Riyadh 2025, before turning attention to next year’s AFC Grassroots Football Conference – another chance to share success stories and push the boundaries of development in Asia’s ever-evolving football landscape.
This conference follows a breakthrough in the confederation’s education programme – announcing that its ACE (Academic Centre of Excellence) would expand to a new course, the AFC Club Management Programme (ACMP), aimed at ensuring current and emerging leaders are “well placed to seize opportunities and meet the challenges inherent in Asia’s rapidly changing club football environment”.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]
