Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Bishkek: Kyrgyzstan has made significant progress in the AFC Kick Off development programme since the nation started its implementation in May this year.
An AFC delegation paid a visit from November 10 to 12 to organise a media seminar and club development licensing review meetings with football officials from the Central Asian nation.
Fifteen persons from six clubs and nine media organisations took part in the media seminar at the Football Federation of Kyrgyz Republic (FFKR) headquarters aimed at sharing best media practices prevalent in football.
The workshop covered three important areas of media management, and the participants, who felt that clubs in Kyrgyzstan and general media management is a
few years behind advanced and other developing Asian football playing nations, showed keen interest in the topics and areas covered.
They said that they would encourage their employers to provide them with the necessary media infrastructure to enable them to implement all or some of the areas of media operation and media management explained in the workshop.
The workshop was followed by a meeting between the AFC delegation and FFKR General Secretary Dastanbek Konokbaev and Football League of Kyrgyzstan’s (FLK) Director Kemel Tokabaev and staff to get updates on the status of Kyrgyzstan’s progress in the AFC Kick Off development programme implementation and to scrutinise the documents provided by the clubs in relation to the implementation of the licensing criteria.
A discussion on league marketing was held between the AFC delegation and FLK to review the league’s marketing regulations and sponsorship generation activities.
The AFC officials then visited various clubs to follow up on the implementation of the club licensing regulations.
“In a short period of time since its inception, Project Kyrgyzstan has been making significant progress in the implementation of the Kick Off‐ Action Plan in all the areas that were agreed upon,” a post-visit report states.
“The three staff members appointed in FLK (marketing, media and club development) have been very committed to performing their respective tasks and thereby contributing to the development of the league and clubs.
“On request by the FLK and FFKR, a media workshop was organised by the AFC under the Kick Off project for the club media officers as well as mass media and journalists.
“The implementation of the club development licensing regulations is ongoing as per the set time frame. Six clubs have provided all the documents to the FLK licensing administration. The First Instance Body will meet on November 15 to scrutinise the documents and decide on the granting of licences for the 2015 season.
“And the FLK marketing manager is currently drafting a sponsorship proposal for title sponsorship as well as co‐sponsorship for the 2015 league season.”
Boris Podkorytov, Director of Dordoi Bishkek Club, one of the clubs visited, said: “The regulations have helped established a proper structure in the club and I am confident that in a few years’ time, the club would match the professionalism of other Central Asian and West Asian countries.”
Kyrgyzstan is one of 20 countries currently benefiting from Kick Off which is a programme focusing on strengthening the club and league management of AFC’s Member Associations through tailor-made, self-sustainable solutions.