Online AFC MA & RA General Secretaries Conference 2020 ASEAN Zone
Kuala Lumpur: General Secretaries from the ASEAN Zone have praised the world-class line-up and top-level football agenda of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Member Associations’ (MA) & Regional Associations’ (RA) General Secretaries’ Online Conference 2020 which concluded its third series on Friday.
Some of the most experienced tacticians and leading administrators in world football, including FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger and FIFA Technical Director and former CEO of the Royal Belgian Football Association, Steven Martens were on hand to lend their expertise to the participants over the last two days.
National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam Deputy General Secretary, Siti Zuraina Abdullah, said: “The quality of the programme and exposure to engage with some of the most accomplished minds in world football has been exceptional and credit must go to the AFC as well as FIFA for presenting us with such a unique opportunity.
“Through the productive exchange of ideas, skills and experiences, we are now better equipped to build stronger MAs. This has been an eye-opening Conference, one that will leave lasting benefits for the development of the game and a stronger Asian football family.”
The highly-endorsed Conference, which earlier this month engaged General Secretaries in the South, Central and East Zones, commenced with a scene-setting presentation on the AFC’s Vision and Mission by the AFC General Secretary, Dato’ Windsor John.
Mr. Lê Hoài Anh – VFF General Secretary and Mrs. Nguyễn Thanh Hà – Deputy General Secretary attend the conference.
There was also a timely presentation on the latest updates on the AFC’s Competitions as well as an in-depth sharing on ‘Match-fixing in a Post COVID-19 World’ – led by the AFC’s long-standing integrity partners Sportradar.
Providing an Asian perspective and context, the Japan Football Association also imparted their best practices and approaches to MA Administration, before FIFA, led by the experienced duo of Wenger and Martens as well as Senior MA Governance Services Manager Alexandre Gros, presented on MA Governance and the latest technical developments.
The recently formed AFC Commercial Department and Safeguarding Unit also shared their progress on the AFC’s Commercial strategy as well as the plans in place to protect the wellbeing and safety of children and young people in football.
Lao Football Federation General Secretary Kanya Keomany added: “The Conference has reinforced the importance of relationship building and partnerships to achieve stronger outcomes and the depth of the discussions and agenda have reiterated the need for greater strategic application in managing our Member Associations.
“These are unprecedented times for all of us and I want to thank the AFC, FIFA and all the speakers for sharing their insights, which will be invaluable when determining how we adapt and recover to arrive at a stronger, more unified approach when this crisis subsides.”
The management of long-term plans and strategic thinking in the ever-evolving football landscape was also cast under the microscope with presentations by Dr. Kevin Tallec Marston, Research Fellow & Academic Project Manager, CIES, Kleinmann Wang CEO Anter Issac as well as Alex Phillips, former UEFA Head of Asia – Europe Affairs.
The Conference will conclude its final leg in the West Zone next week on July 1, bringing to a close a highly-engaging series which has strengthened the sense of unity among the senior leadership from all 47 Member Associations and five Regional Associations.
