The continental football body and its Member Associations (MAs) celebrated AFC Grassroots Year in 2013. Since then, nations across Asia increased their grassroots activities while others started theirs as a prelude to a long-term grassroots programme that will benefit society in terms of enjoying sporting opportunities and leading healthy lifestyles and also of course, the game itself by providing a larger pool of players that will feed their elite teams.
While some MAs observed their AFC Grassroots Day on May 15 itself, some others chose to celebrate it on other dates depending on their culture and calendar.
Below is a round-up of grassroots activities across Asia that took place in late May and June:
Tajikistan
The Tajikistan Football Federation (TFF) held its fifth grassroots festival on June 1, which was also International Children’s Day, as part of its Grassroots Year 2014 celebrations.
Two hundred children from districts in the Khatlon region, namely Sharituz, Kabadiyan and Beshkent, took apr tin the festival held at the Pakhtakor Stadium. The festival started with a warm-up led by Instructor Vladimir Domlodjonov. Then the children were divided into 10 teams under the guidance of their coaches and competed in relays.
Upon the completion of the relays, the teams went to the stations manned by their respective coaches who taught the children the basics of football. In one sector, the children worked with the ball and in the other outplayed chips under the guidance of youth coaches Vali Igamberdiev and Zayniddin Rakhimov.
Next, the children have played futsal and then under the guidance of former national team midfielder Eradzh Nasikhov practised shots on goal. In one of the stations, former FIFA assistant referee Nasriddin Azizov taught children to play handball. In the centre of the field, head of the festival Boir Igamberdiev conducted a master class on juggling the ball. Every 10 minutes the children changed their coaches and learned new ways of playing.
“Our main mission is to promote healthy lifestyles and the popularisation of football, as well as to attract children to sporting activities. I hope that each child gets a lot of emotions. The main thing is that the children have a good time and enjoy playing football,” said the Chairman of Youth Football Department of Tajikistan Football Federation Anvarsho Mirzoyev.
At the end of the festival, the participants were given the festival’s footballs with bore the TFF Grassroots Football Year logo.
Indonesia
The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) held a grassroots festival on AFC Grassroots Day at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium which attracted the participation of 300 children from around the capital city, Jakarta.
Firstly, grassroots instructors Zaenal Abidin and Maman Suryaman delivered a grassroots clinic to 35 football school coaches, after which the festival swung into action. Three grassroots ambassadors added spice to the festival. Former national players Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto and Charis Yulianto as well as national U-14 and U-23 assistant coach Yeyen Tumena, who was also a former national player, shared with the kids the finer things of football enjoyment.
PSSI General Secretary Joko Driyono officially opened the festival which was also attended by Technical Director of PSSI Jopie Lepeel and General Manager for Football Development Tommy Welly.
Mongolia
Mongolia was another Member Association who did not want to be left out on the excitement by observing AFC Grassroots Day albeit at a later date. The Mongolian Football Federation held their grassroots activities on June 1, their Children’s Football Day, a rich tradition started in 2002 and also in the spirit of the International Children’s Day.
This time round 300 children took part in the football fiesta called ‘Children-Football-Future’ project with their parents also actively participating.
Palestine
The date June 7, 2014, was a historic one for Palestine as it was the day a grassroots festival was held at Majed Asa’ad Stadium, Al Bireh, where 200 children under 12 years of age and 20 coaches made sure the event was a memorable one that planted the seeds of love for the game.
Twenty stations were made each of which catered to a certain skill or activity such as shooting, passing and so on. Palestine Football Association Technical Director Ahmad Al Hassan and Joseph Blatter Football Academy Technical Director Adel Al Farran oversaw the whole festival to make sure children and parents enjoyed the game.
Iraq
A total of 220 children aged between eight and 12 took part in a grassroots festival in Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad. The festival was attended by the governor of Baghdad, president of Iraq Football Association and officials from the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Iraqi Olympic Committee, as well as the media.
“The festival was very successful and was a source of joy for the players and their parents,” said Abdul Karim Farhan, Iraq Football Association’s grassroots in-charge.
Vietnam
More than 3,000 kids including disabled children gathered at Hue city to play over 1,000 matches in Vietnam’s biggest grassroots football event called the FFAV (Football for All in Vietnam) Cup 2014.
Although most teams came from FFAV’s clubs in Thua Thien Hue province, the FFAV Cup was open to other children’s grassroots football clubs as well. This year the Cup welcomed teams from social centres around Hue, the SOS children’s village in Danang, the FFAV’s satellite project in Do Son, Hai Phong province and from Salavan in neighbouring country Laos.
The four-day event kicked off on June 8 and culminated in an U-15 tournament.
India
India was happy with the completion of its Grassroots Football Month in May during which the All India Football Federation conducted 62 festivals involving 5,754 kids. During the month, six grassroots courses were held and 159 grassroots coaches were trained.
“The AIFF wishes to congratulate all the stakeholders who have successfully participated in the festivals and hope to have the same support for grassroots football throughout the country,” AIFF Grassroots Development Manager Suvrat Thatte has said.
Kuwait
The Kuwait Football Association observed AFC Grassroots Day on May 17 which was graced by the presence of its Vice President Hayef Hussain Al Mutairi.
Al Mutairi, in his speech, thanked everyone who attended and hoped more such events will be held. “I’d like to welcome the participating teams on this occasion and the attendance of parents. Everybody appreciates the festival and the efforts done for it. I hope we can do such wonderful festival every year,” he said.
Souvenirs were distributed to the players, referees, parents and teams' officials at the conclusion of the event.
Turkmenistan
A National Grassroots Football Festival was organised in Ashgabat, the capital city of the country, and was attended by more than 100 boys and girls as well as their parents and relatives.
Ten teams took part in the event including one female football team and one team of adolescents with disabilities. The participants’ age varied from two to 20. The teams performed various football drills and games facilitated by volunteers including ball juggling, dribbling, exercise on coordination, speed, and more.
A Special “Kids Zone” for small football players was opened during the festival. A number of contests was organised for soccer moms and dads and the winners received special prizes. All festival participants received different prizes, souvenirs, t-shirts bearing the AFC Grassroots Year logo and information materials on healthy lifestyle.
The event was widely covered by local mass media including newspapers and TV channel Turkmensport as well as also online media.
Japan
A Kids Leader Instructor Training Course was held from at J-STEP in Shizuoka to train the aprtiicpants how to handle U-10 kids in their first football experience. A total of 52 participants nominated by their respective prefectural football associations learnt a lot not only from the lectures on understanding kids based on the degrees of their physical and mental growth and how to communicate with them, but also from the practical group sessions. Upon the completion of this course, the participants will start working as the official instructors to promote more understanding of football in their prefectures.
Photos: MAs