Several Member Associations (MAs) organised their festivals on AFC Grassroots Day which fell on May 15 while the rest made sure the spirit of grassroots lived on by having their grassroots fiestas after the date.
Sparked by the celebration of AFC Grassroots Year 2013, the MAs are making sure they are doing everything they can to sow the seeds of love for the game among the children who will continue to appreciate the game or even grow to be great talent that the federations can tap for their future elite teams.
There were many other Member Associations who held their exciting activities before the month of May.
The following is a round-up of grassroots activities that have taken place across the vast continent recently in May:
Uzbekistan
A total of 250 children took part in a festival organised by the Uzbekistan Football Federation (UFF). Competitions for the U-8 and U-9 age categories were also held to give the players a fun playing and environment.
The matches were played at UFF headquarters artificial pitch with famous players also making an appearance to share the joy of the game with the participants. UFF Senior Vice President Sardor Rakhmatullaev Head of Veterans Nariman Jalalov were also present.
Bahrain
The Bahrain Football Association, under the leadership of its President Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and the members of the Board of Directors, organised a grassroots festival to coincide with the UN’s International Day of Families on May 15.
More than 150 children aged 12 and below from clubs and national football academies took part in a grassroots festival at the Bahrain Football Association’s (BFA) pitch. Twenty coaches organised the festival with parents also coming in droves to encourage their children to enjoy the game.
BFA Training and Development Specialist Abed Al-Ansari presented the festival’s programme which was developed by the BFA and supported by the AFC for this age group.
Attention is given to this age group so that more people from young age embrace the game allowing the BFA to discover talent and raise awareness about issues that affect families and communities.
Through the festival, the BFA also brought people’s attention to principles such as unity, support and understanding relevant to the theme of the International Day of Families.
Kyrgyzstan
The Football Federation of Kyrgyz Republic held a grassroots course which was attended by 28 participants and concluded with three festivals held in Belovodsk, Kant and Bishkek.
More than 200 children aged between six and 12 attended each festival, with approximately 30 percent of the participants being girls.
Jordan
A total of 123 boys and girls under 10 years of age and 25 coaches took part in a grassroots festival in capital city Amman. A workshop was held before the festival to ensure the coaches were equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to make sure the festival was a success.
The Jordan Football Association has aimed to spread the grassroots festivals all over the nation.
Turkmenistan
A festival was held in Ashgabat, the capital of the country, an event that was also devoted to the UN’s International Day of Families with cooperation with UN agencies in Turkmenistan namely the UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and WHO (World Health Organization).
The festival 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 teams performed various football drills and games facilitated by volunteers. The drills and games included ball juggling, dribbling, exercises on coordination, speed etc. Information tables for health-related issues were organised and special sessions on healthy lifestyles were conducted by UNFPA.
Special “Kids Zone” for small football players was opened during the festival. A number of contests were organised for soccer moms and dads and the winners received special prizes.
Brunei
The National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) has designated May as its Grassroots Football Month and has organised four festivals throughout the country.
A total of 300 children participated in the third festival on May 18 that was earmarked as the nation’s AFC Grassroots Day celebration.
The fourth and final festival was held in Temburong district on May 25 at the Temburong Sports Complex.
India
The state of Gujarat in India has held its first ever grassroots course thanks to the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The course was the ninth held by the AIFF this year.
On the last day of the course, more than 120 kids enjoyed a football festival. The organisers were also buoyed by the response to the festival and vowed to take grassroots football throughout the state.