Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Zurich: AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa chaired a meeting of the FIFA Development Committee in Zurich on Tuesday, the first such gathering since its restructure last January.
Shaikh Salman began by welcoming the Committee Members, and congratulated them on being appointed, something, he said, which shows the trust FIFA has placed in each and every one of them.
The AFC President continued by stressing the need to work as a team, so that the Committee can continue to serve international football by helping Member Associations and Confederations adopt development programmes throughout the footballing world.
Shaikh Salman also outlined the Committee’s recent achievements, adding there was an ongoing need to execute FIFA development programmes that are designed to assist Member Associations develop and support the plans of the various Confederations to grow the game.
The Committee also discussed FIFA’s new Forward Programme which aims to provide 360-degree, tailor-made support for developing football, based on more investment, more impact and more oversight. The programme enables Member Associations and Confederations to apply for financial support for their development projects, and is also now more closely monitored to ensure the spending of funds is subject to greater transparency.
On Thursday, Shaikh Salman will attend a meeting of FIFA's Bureau of the Council which will be chaired by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The meeting is scheduled to centre on FIFA’s activity, financial and governance reports for 2016, as well as the approval of the agenda for FIFA Congress 2017 which will be held in Bahrain.