Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Yangon: Myanmar has made considerable investments to perform well in continental and regional women’s competitions and have set up plans to promote the game generally in the ASEAN nation, Myanmar Football Federation President Zaw Zaw said.
AFC has completed the first visit under its Women’s Assistance Programme (WAP) to Myanmar where the continental football body was requested by the Myanmar Football Federation to do a general women’s football study in the country.
An AFC delegation comprising Junko Imai, AFC Women’s Committee Member, and Julie Teo, AFC Head of Women’s Development, visited Yangon, Myanmar from 10 to 12 September.
At the top of the delegation’s agenda was to pay a courtesy call to Zaw Zaw, who is also a member of the AFC Executive Committee and Chairman of the AFC Organising Committee for Youth Competitions.
“I have taken a personal interest in women’s football in Myanmar,” Zaw Zaw said during the courtesy call. “We have national teams in all the age-groups appropriate for AFC women’s competitions. Our U-19 team has qualified for the AFC U-19 Women’s Championship 2013 in China and our senior team has qualified for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2014 Vietnam.
“We are currently hosting the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Women’s Championship 2013 and in December, we are hosting the 27th South East Asian Games. We have invested considerably in our women’s team to spur them to do well in these competitions. We have good plans ahead for women’s football including setting up an Academy for Girls in the near future and launching a semi-professional league next year.”
MFF had scheduled the visit around the on-going AFF Women’s Championship 2013 being held at the Youth Training Centre, Yangon. The AFC delegation therefore had the opportunity to watch Myanmar’s opening match against Laos, which the hosts won 5-0.
Other participating teams in the 10-team competition were the senior national teams of Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, the Australian national U-19 women’s team and a Japan U-21 selection side. The ASEAN teams were using this competition as preparation for the December SEA Games while Australia were preparing for the AFC U-19 Women’s Championship 2013 in China this October.
On the second day of the visit, a discussion was held on MFF’s women’s football programmes and its future plans. MFF participants included General Secretary Tin Aung, Technical Department Advisor Thein Aung, Head of Technical Department Soe Myint Lwin, Technical Director Win Thu Moe, Head of Administration and Stadium Department Zaw Lin, Head of International Department Soe Win, Director of Marketing and Sponsorship Sue Aung, Deputy Director of Media Department Zaw Min Htike, and technical staff member Phone Nyunt Ko. Also present was Assistant Director of the Myanmar Ministry of Education Aye Min.
Tin Aung, General Secretary of MFF, said: “MFF has seized the opportunity in WAP so that Myanmar can benefit from the recommendations and support from AFC for the development of women’s football. Men’s and women’s football enjoy equal status at the MFF. Football is the most popular sport in Myanmar for men and women. MFF also has very good links with the Ministry of Education, thus they are able to organise strong football programmes in the schools.”
To reinforce its grassroots programme, MFF will introduce mixed football for U-12 children and has an ambitious target to reach out to all children, girls and boys, below 14 years of age in primary and middle schools in Myanmar through a pilot project with the Ministry of Education. These schools are in the three Divisions of Basic Education (DBE) in Myanmar, i.e. DBE 1, DBE 2 and DBE 3.
The AFC delegation was impressed with the comprehensive programmes that MFF has established for women’s football. All the structures are in place for women’s football to progress even further for Myanmar.