BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (9 Aug 2015) – THE National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam is set to host the first Asian Federation Football (AFC) Under-14 Regional Festival of Football on August 18.
Apart from hosts Brunei, eight other countries will be competing in the five-day event; Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
Sanctioned by AFC, the event will offer certificates of participation and medals to all players that will participate in the football festival held at both the Balapan Track and Field of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports and the Berakas Sports Complex.
The event was announced during a press conference at National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam’s (NFABD) headquarters at Jalan Pusat Persidangan yesterday, and the event’s chairman Muhammad Radzuan Hj Madali explained why the association is playing host to the event.
“AFC president Shaikh Salman Ebrahim El Khalifa wants to support Brunei’s football in developing the game and have Brunei competing in the Asian region,” he said.
“So Brunei is given the opportunity to host an AFC event and we are keen to organise the event.
“The festival will provide an opportunity for the young players to get further experience, and this event will focus on development rather than on competition and winning as no points will be awarded.
“All the countries will send their national teams, so this is an indicator for these young players to test themselves on the international stage,” added the event chairman yesterday.
Among the festival’s purposes are to provide a continuous player development pathway from the grassroots at the school level to the elite level and ensure a smooth transition for elite players to the national team.
The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and other related government agencies.
Admission is free and a lucky draw will be held during the event.
