KUALA LUMPUR (5 Sept 2014) – Delegates of a FIFA/AFC Member Associations and Development Seminar in the Malaysian capital city were briefed on FIFA programmes on the first day of the event on Thursday.
The seminar for Presidents, General Secretaries and Technical Directors from the ASEAN region began with speeches from the AFC Vice-President and President of the Football Association of Malaysia, His Royal Highness Tengku Abdullah Ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke and AFC General Secretary Dato’ Alex Soosay.
These were followed by a presentation on FIFA reforms and their impact on development by FIFA Director of Member Associations and Development, Thierry Regenass.
Later, explanations were given on FIFA development programmes and services to the Member Associations by FIFA Head of Development Programmes Cyril Loisel, FIFA Senior Manager for Performance Frederic Guillemont, FIFA Football Facilities and Income Generation Programme Manager Daniel Krebs and FIFA Marketing Consultant Winston Lee.
During the sessions, updates on FIFA reforms to the Judicial System i.e. the Ethics Committee, Democratic Reforms, Compliance Programme, Financial Controls, Enforcement, were given with general regulations for development programmes also explained.
New challenges and opportunities in relation to the 2015-2018 Development Budget were also touched on, and mention was made of the proposed budget of US$900 million for the years 2015-2018, up from the 2011-2014 Development Budget of US$800 million.
The budget evolution was approved by the FIFA Development Committee, FIFA Executive Committee and finally by the 209 FIFA Member Associations at the 64th FIFA Congress 2014 that was convened in Sao Paulo on June 11, 2014.
FIFA programmes and services were then explained such as MA governance services, Financial Assistance Programme, Goal Programme, Programme for Less-Privileged Member Associations, PERFORMANCE programme, Football Facilities, Income Generation Programme, FIFA Connect, MA Extranet, Technical Development Programmes and Services.
Further illustrations were given on the various programmes and services above, such as that there are now 668 Goal projects in 202 Member Associations, with 158 of the projects in AFC Member Associations, since the programme’s launch in 1999.
A total of 71 ‘Category 3’ countries, including 16 in Asia, are benefitting from the Programme for Less-Privileged Countries which aims to develop infrastructure and sport logistics in the participating nations.
The PERFORMANCE Programme, meanwhile, aims to support Member Associations to reach their maximum potential both on and off the pitch and 163 FIFA Member Associations, including 41 in Asia, are part of the programme.
The Income Generation Programme was also further explained, which is available for Category 2 nations (nations with high potential for development) and Category 3 countries (less privileged nations) and case studies were given such as the solar energy system in Guam.
The seminar in Kuala Lumpur is the last leg of the FIFA Regional Member Associations Development Seminar for Asia, and the Member Associations of Brunei Darussalam, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Timor-Leste and Australia were represented.
