October 29- Under the chairmanship of Fifa vice-president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, Asian football officials have concluded a high-profile round table in Jordan by recommending a series of proposals to boost the development of grassroots football in the region.
The summit, under the auspices of the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP), addressed the current challenges and opportunities in order to boost the importance of the game at grassroots level, an issue that is dear to the heart of Prince Ali.
Experts from a raft of leading federations and clubs were invited to Amman for the discussions which focussed on the need for concrete action in a continent that has had its fair share of disagreements and disputes in recent years.
“The discussions were open and fruitful and that is indeed how it should be in football,” Prince Ali said afterwards. “We are fortunate to have had a diverse group of people with expertise in grassroots development from Europe and Asia. We have shared experiences and managed to outline a preliminary path for AFC and others in Asia to follow in order to build and strengthen grassroots football across the continent and without discrimination.”
A package of recommendations for driving grassroots football forward was as follows:
• Grassroots activities must be tailored to maximise the impact of the resources available.
• The initial priority for grassroots football in Asia is girls and boys from 5 to 12 years of age, followed by girls and boys from 13 to 19 years of age.
• Football bodies are encouraged to organize grassroots activities for men and women as well.
• In order to stimulate, promote and recognise grassroots football development in Asia, there is a need for Asian football to initiate a grassroots accreditation system outlining appropriate criteria from sporting, social and other perspectives and verification processes.
• It is in the best interest of Asian football for national associations and external organizations, such as government agencies, NGOs and private enterprise, to strengthen cooperation in grassroots activities through win-win partnerships with compatible goals. This partnerships may be used to increase awareness, disseminate key messages and generate revenue.
• Asian football bodies must share best practices from organizations large and small, and communicate grassroots information using the Internet and other media.
• AFC is encouraged to create a body dedicated to grassroots football in Asia.
• Asian associations are encouraged to employ a dedicated grassroots manager.
• Training that reaches out to communities must be provided for grassroots coaches and leaders across Asia, and opportunities must be given for them to build expertise and experience through practice.
• There is a need for a simple coaching manual for use in grassroots football and made available online to all Asian football bodies. It is recommended that this manual be accompanied by a skills test and a badge scheme
• Since child protection is essential in all grassroots activities, appropriate screening must be in place – each Asian association’s national youth team coaches should be screened as a minimum – and children, parents and coaches must receive appropriate education.
• AFDP will work with universities to gather academic research of benefit to grassroots football and football development in general.
