Shavkat Mirziyoyev receives AFC head Sheikh Salman — important agreements

On October 17, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received the President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, who is currently visiting our country on a working trip.

During the conversation, the parties thoroughly discussed issues of taking the multifaceted and effective partnership between Uzbekistan and the continent's main football governing body to an even higher level, as well as implementing promising joint projects.

«High attention to professional and amateur football»

The AFC head praised the policy pursued in our country to develop sports, in particular football, which is the game of millions:

• Infrastructure and educational base: Special recognition was given to the creation of modern stadiums, training grounds, and coaching training bases that meet the latest international standards to support amateur and professional football in our country;

• Increasing popularity: Practical steps taken on the initiative of the President to establish a healthy lifestyle among youth and bring football to every household left a great impression on the continental football leadership.

From neighborhood communities to academies: New programs and projects

At the meeting, the following priority areas for popularizing football among the younger generation and discovering talents were identified:

• «A football pitch in every neighborhood»: Jointly promoting projects to broadly involve children and adolescents in sports from an early age and create favorable sports conditions in the regions within the framework of this large-scale program;

• Network of football academies: Developing specialized football academies operating on the basis of modern requirements and enriching their methodological base;

• Selection and advanced training: Improving the early scouting system for talented young football players and expanding the methodological assistance of AFC experts in training local athletes and coaching staff.

Hosting international tournaments

The parties expressed a unanimous opinion on regularly organizing major regional and continental competitions in Uzbekistan:

• Women's and youth championships: An agreement was reached to organize and host major continental championships for youth and women under the auspices of the AFC in our country at a high level;

• Enhancing international prestige: These agreements will serve to further strengthen Uzbekistan's organizational potential and authority in Asian football.