VFF’s President and the delegation attending the 34th AFC Congress
Today (May 16), the 34th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Congress with the participation of representatives from 47 member football federations was held in Bangkok – Thailand. FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended and spoke at the Congress.
Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan – President of the Vietnam Football Federation – attended the Congress as a member of the AFC Executive Committee and Chairman of the AFC Competition Committee. The VFF delegation attending the Congress included Mr. Tran Anh Tu – Vice President and Mr. Duong Nghiep Khoi – General Secretary.
After the welcome speech of AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the Congress took place according to the approved program, which focused on the main contents including: Report on AFC activities in the previous period Congress, Report of functional committees under the AFC Executive Committee, Approval of audited financial reports and Auditor’s report for fiscal year 2023. The Congress also emphasized the successful organization full range of world-class competitions as well as landmark training, development, technical and refereeing programs for the benefit of its Member Associations as well as deciding on proposals for amendments/ delete certain provisions in the AFC Regulations.
The Congress elected two new members to the AFC Executive Committee for the remainder of the 2023-2027 term. Accordingly, Ms. Mijgona Mahmadalieva (Tajikistan) was elected as Female Member of the AFC Executive Committee for Central Asia while Mr. Chung Mong Gyu (Korea) became a member of the AFC Executive Committee for East Asia.
Dr. Veronica Chan Yiu Kam, Zaw Zaw and Lim Kia Tong (posthumous) are the inaugural AFC Lifetime Achievement and Distinguished Service Award recipients. The AFC Lifetime Achievement and Distinguished Service Awards were presented today at a special ceremony during the 34th AFC Congress, reinforcing the Confederation’s commitment to recognise and honour those who have made transformative contributions to Asian football and, in the process, left a positive imprint on wider society.
Mr. Zaw Zaw, the AFC Senior Vice President and President of the Myanmar Football Federation (MFF), who received the AFC Distinguished Service Award. A prominent advocate for both football and social welfare, Zaw Zaw’s exemplary initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the establishment of free treatment and quarantine hospitals, underscored the profound impact football can have in fostering positive change within communities.
Dr. Veronica Chan Yiu Kam from Hong Kong, China – a trailblazer who established the now-defunct Asian Ladies Football Confederation in 1965, laying the groundwork for the advancement of women’s football across the Continent. Her visionary leadership and tireless efforts paved the way for the rise of the Asian women’s game, which will mark a new era with the launch of the groundbreaking AFC Women’s Champions League later this year.
Before the end of the Congress, AFC officially announced the new brand and identity of the club-level tournaments of Asian men’s and women’s football, applicable starting from the 2024/25 season, including: AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite), AFC Women’s Champions League (AWCL), AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two) and AFC Challenge League (ACGL). In particular, ACL Elite is the highest tournament of Asian club football, including 24 top clubs on the continent. The second league consisting of 32 teams is ACL Two and the final level, which will see competition from 20 clubs is ACGL.
AFC Women’s Champions League (AWCL) is the first tournament for club level in Asian women’s football, expected to have the participation of 12 teams.
17/05/2024 09:52:11
