Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The AFC Elite Youth Scheme was further polished as the AFC Youth Panel met for the sixth time at the AFC House on Thursday.
The panel - overseen by the AFC Technical Committee and AFC General Secretary - is tasked with supporting the promotion and development of elite youth football in Asia, as well as designing and implementing the AFC Elite Youth Scheme, which is an endorsement scheme for Member Associations (MAs).
AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John, who opened the meeting said: “We all in this room share a common belief: A vibrant and comprehensive youth development system is the basis for success at the elite level.
“All of us here know that competing with the world’s best tomorrow requires a concerted investment and a clear focus for our youth today.
“And the AFC Elite Youth Scheme, which has been examined in great detail by this panel, will play a significant role to achieve our Vision and Mission. When fully operational, the scheme will play a crucial role in raising the technical competencies of Asian football.
“Together, I am confident that we will produce future stars of the game that will take Asian football to greater heights.”
The panel discussed the evaluation checklists and decision making processes of the new endorsement scheme.
Academies and training centres for girls were also among the topics discussed. Furthermore, the challenges and issues related to the AFC Elite Youth Scheme were also evaluated in some detail.
The youth panel members, together with a number of additional MA representatives, will participate in the first AFC Elite Youth Scheme Workshop which will take place later on Thursday in Kuala Lumpur. It is hoped that the event would be a launchpad for the introduction of the scheme to improve the detection and education of young talented players in Asia.