JAKARTA (4 Sept 2019) – Asean Football Federation President, Major General Khiev Sameth, paid a courtesy call on the Secretary-General of ASEAN, H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi at the regional organisation’s secretariat here today.
Today’s meeting was historic as it marked the first time the AFF President had officially met up with the ASEAN Secretariat.
Also present today were AFF Vice-President, Ratu Tisha Destria and AFF General Secretary, Winston Lee, along with several ASEAN Secretariat officials.
“It was a good meeting where we discussed various matters involving the sport in our region. Among the key points was the proposal to bid for the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Further meetings will be scheduled in the coming months to discuss the bid,” said Major General Sameth.
“The ASEAN proposal was visionary and would contribute immensely to the future growth and development of the sport and also bring massive economic benefits to the region.”
“With a population of 640 million people where football is the No. 1 sport and with a huge market worth USD2.6 trillion, our region has the potential to be an ideal venue for the world’s biggest sporting event.”
Major General Sameth commented that besides the joint World Cup bid, the discussion with HE Dato Lim also extended to several other issues, including the economic impact of football on the region and its people, and also how the game can effect social changes. Health was another point discussed.
“There are many areas that we can collaborate on with the ASEAN Secretariat through football. We hope this meeting will be the start of a long-term relationship between both organisations.”
