Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The recently appointed Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Social Responsibility Committee had its first meeting in Kuala Lumpur, home of the AFC headquarters, on Monday.
The Committee Chairman, Mr Ahmed Eid S. Al Harbi (Saudi Arabia), welcomed Deputy Chairman Mr Sardor Rakhmatullaev (Uzbekistan) and Members Ms Emma Highwood, (Australia), Mr Sophana Kul (Cambodia), Mr Park Ji-sung (Korea Republic), Mr Xaybandith Rasphone (Laos), Mr Thanh Zaw (Myanmar), Mr Ganesh Thapa (Nepal), Ms Mona Dabdoob (Palestine), Mr Anas Al Sebaai (Syria) and Mr Amandio Sarmento (Timor-Leste).
In his welcome address the Chairman underlined the importance of the Committee’s work in the coming four years and told the Members about his visit to the AFC Village in Tacloban, the Philippines.
A new initiative, an annual AFC Social Responsibility Conference in partnership with the English Premier League, was introduced. The AFC’s collaboration with the EPL is based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organisations, which was signed in March 2014. The conference is planned for April/May 2016.
One of the AFC’s key social responsibility partnerships is with One World Play Project. The current MoU between the partners runs out in 2015 and it will be renewed in November in conjunction with the AFC Annual Awards in New Delhi. One World Play Project believes in the importance of play for children in deprived areas and its cooperation with the AFC involves donating ultra durable footballs to disadvantaged communities in different parts of Asia.
The AFC Administration introduced the Committee to the four-year AFC Social Responsibility Strategic Plan for the years 2015-2018. The main objectives for the strategy are to provide opportunities for the underprivileged and disabled to participate in football, to raise awareness and contribute to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals through the power of football, developing, implementing and encouraging social responsibility programs in the AFC Member Associations and raising awareness and contributing to social development through advocacy campaigns.
An additional issue that was covered was the AFC’s committee meeting procedure, as all members but one (Emma Highwood from Australia) are new to the AFC Social Responsibility Committee. The procedures were explained at the meeting by the AFC Administration. In addition, the AFC Administration presented a report on its various social responsibility activities.