December 7 – AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa (pictured) has emphasised the value of the confederation’s revamped financial assistance programmes saying that they will “empower” federations.
Under the new AFC Enhance Member Association Programme, member associations have a quota of $2 million over a four-year cycle, with a maximum allocation of $500,000 per year. The money can be used in three main areas – administration, competition management and infrastructure development.
Regional associations have access to $1 million over four years, with a maximum allocation of $250,000 per year, which can be used for administrative salaries, operational expenses and special projects.
“The COVID-19 pandemic affected economies around the world but through the resilience of our MAs and RAs, football is beginning to return to normalcy and together we must ensure that football continues to grow,” said Shaikh Salman.
“The revamped programmes will essentially empower our MAs and RAs to further enhance the sport through various programmes and projects that will create a positive impact and leave a lasting legacy.”
To access the funds, FAs need to have in place a four-year strategic plan by 2023 (completed or in the process of completion) while regional associations are required to establish a four-year strategic plan by 2022.
The new programme is part of the AFC’s ongoing encouragement and help for its members to establish and implement long-term and sustainable plans. The AFC says that the route to this is through a systematic approach to all the key business areas via a process that is anchored in good governance principles.
Ultimately the AFC says that it is only as strong as its members and that, coming out of the pandemic, it is more committed than ever to helping them boost their capabilities and performance.
“A strong Confederation relies on strong members and the continued development of our Member and Regional Associations will always remain at the heart of all our efforts, as underlined in the AFC’s Vision and Mission,” said Shaikh Salman.
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