The AFC Special Elite Youth Football Awards 2025 ceremony was held by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on the eve of the Grassroot Conference in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital. At this prestigious event, the U-19 Championship, organized by the Uzbekistan Professional Football League (PFL), was recognized as the best youth league of the year, according to the PFL press service.
At the ceremony, AFC Deputy Secretary General Shin Man Gil solemnly presented the award to Qudratbek Madraimov, Chief Specialist of the League's Competition Organization Department and U-19 Championship Manager. When presenting the award, special emphasis was placed on one aspect - many players in the Uzbekistan U-17 national team participating in the World Cup today were formed through this very competition.
This is one of the highest recognitions in the field of youth football by the AFC, and an assessment was conducted based on a number of criteria to obtain it. Among them were such indicators as the organization of the competition, the number of matches held during the year, the level of infrastructure, the quality of refereeing, the qualifications of coaches, and most importantly - the number of professional football players who have graduated from the championship in recent years.
According to the above criteria, the Uzbekistan U-19 Championship was recognized as unparalleled in Asia. It is noted that this competition is of great importance not only for the development of football players, but also for the creation of a modern football system in the country.
At the same time, it was noted at the ceremony that over the past two years, this award has been awarded to leagues of Japan in various age categories. But in 2025, this recognition went to Uzbekistan for the first time. This was regarded as a symbol of trust and respect not only for the youth competition, but also for the entire national football system.
Currently, the playoff stage of the U-19 Championship is in full swing in Tashkent. The matches will be played on the reserve field of the "Jar" stadium, and the final will take place on the main field of the stadium. The competition is being broadcast live on the league's official YouTube page via the PFL's modern mobile television station.
According to football experts, this victory is not only a sporting achievement, but also confirms the effectiveness of the youth football system in Uzbekistan. Thanks to the conditions created for young people in the country in recent years, the improvement of the qualifications of specialists, and the systematic implementation of projects, football in our country is rising to a new level.
This success of the PFL and U-19 Championship of Uzbekistan became a source of inspiration not only for youth coaches, but also for thousands of young players. For them, this award will be remembered as the highest assessment of work, discipline, and devotion to the Motherland.
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