By Andrew Warshaw
May 12 – Amidst political tension between its two most influential officials, Asian football attempts to redress the balance this week as figures from across the Continent and beyond converge on the eastern shores of the Dead Sea for two days of discussions aimed at promoting the positive side of developing the game on and off the field.
Six months after its Rio de Janeiro summit was cancelled at the last minute because of disagreements with the local authorities, the Soccerex football business forum breaks new ground by moving to Jordan where leading football and business figures from across Asia will meet with their global counterparts.
The Tuesday and Wednesday forum is being hosted in partnership with the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP), an Amman-based non-profit organisation founded by Prince Ali bin Hussein Ali, head of Jordan Football Association.
Over 750 delegates are expected to attend including a raft of leading European club representatives, at least three FIFA executive committee members and 12 national football association presidents.
Although the conference has been overshadowed in part by the ongoing spat between Prince Ali and Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa over the latter’s highly controversial attempt to merge his position with Prince Ali’s FIFA vice-presidency, organisers hope the two-day talk shop will place Asian football in the spotlight for the right reasons.
Most interest is bound to focus on an update on the Qatar 2022 World Cup presented by Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary general of the Gulf nation’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, while there will also be sessions on the growth of the women’s game, football’s role in addressing social issues in Asia and increasing commercial opportunities.
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