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Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Jordan, Laos, Oman and Vietnam joined in on the 2018 AFC Grassroots Football Day in May and AFC Media tracks what each country undertook to spread the joy of the game.
BHUTAN
The AFC Grassroots Football Day celebration in Bhutan saw a huge turnout in the capital with over 1,700 participants taking part in the festival on May 15.
Organised by the Bhutan Football Federation (BFF), the football festival saw participation from boys and girls from 17 districts.
The annual national event was marked by teaching basic football skills to the participants as the students were taught dribbling skills and scoring tactics along with basic exercises required for football.
Ugyen Dorji, General Manager (Grassroots Level) of BFF said grassroots level football has become vital for the country to groom young talents at an early age.
Dorji said the celebration has improved the children’s footballing skills. “We can see the improvement of their skills and tactics,” he said.
Bhutan were awarded the 2017 AFC President Recognition Award for Grassroots Football in aspiring category following their outstanding contribution to grassroots football in the country.
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
The National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) celebrated their AFC Grassroots Football Day 2018 differently this year with a World Cup themed festival and football clinic on May 13 and 15 respectively.
NFABD organised a futsal tournament with the same format as the World Cup where the preliminary round saw eight groups of four, and each country in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia was represented by different schools in the sultanate.
The preliminary round took place between April 28 and May 7 as the top teams in each group – Uruguay, Portugal, France, Argentina, Costa Rica, Korea Republic, Belgium and Poland – qualified for the final stage on May 13.
Of the eight primary schools, Sekolah Rendah Panaga from Kuala Belait district – representing Uruguay – were the champions.
Dyg Marina Chek Bujang, the Acting Director of the Co-Curriculum Education Department of Schools, Ministry of Education graced the festival alongside NFABD General Secretary and the Acting Director of the Department of Co-curricular Education Roslin Suhailee.
The festival closed with a football clinic which saw the participation of 63 children at a primary school, aimed to promote football participation among school children in Brunei and instilling added values by using football as a communication tool.
The clinic consisted of fun warm-ups, small sided games, tactical exercises and technical skill workshops (passing, controlling, juggling and dribbling).
JORDAN
Jordan Football Association (JFA) continued its efforts in spreading joy and bringing up budding talents from the grassroots level with yet another successful AFC Grassroots Football Day festival.
The three-day celebration began on May 10, where over 180 children under 12-years-old across the three provinces of Jordan took part in a mini football tournament. The semi-finals and final matches were played on the final day of the event.
Inclusivity was a major focus for the JFA, and on the second day, the Cerebral Palsy (CP) national team were invited to play a 7v7 friendly with the JFA staff. Both sides showcased their football prowess and skills, which entertained the spectators, who witnessed the CP team claimed a 4-2 win.
The main celebration on May 12 welcomed 120 children from grassroots centres in Jordan. There were 12 training stations, where the children took part in a variety of activities, including recreational sports and other small sided games.
In the afternoon, the U-12 mini tournament took centre stage, with parents, participants and staff cheering the children on, and Polo Centre were crowned champions.
LAOS
A total of 160 children under the age of 12 from eight different primary schools in the Vientiane capital gathered at the KM16 National Sports Complex to celebrate the AFC Grassroots Football Day 2018 on May 16.
The event, organised by the Laos Football Federation (LFF), included participation from school teachers, coaches and LFF staff members, as well as parents.
An U-12 nine-a-side Grassroots competition was one of the main activities for the children, and they were divided into eight teams of boys and girls. After the lively and entertaining matches, the winners, runners-up and third placed team were rewarded with 40 balls. Additionally, two balls were also donated to each school for their active participation.
OMAN
The Azzan Bin Qais International School ground was filled with 118 children, who celebrated the AFC Grassroots Football Day 2018 on May 15.
A total 67 boys had fun playing ‘Mini Kicker’, a game of football at a size and scale that meets the needs for children, while the Oman Football Association introduced to 51 girls the experience of playing football with four mini games that involved footballing basics such as passing and shooting.
VIETNAM
Vietnam Football Federation celebrated the AFC Grassroots Football Day 2018 in the Hanoi and Thua Thien Hue provinces on May 15.
In Hanoi, more than 100 children had the opportunity to participate in dribbling, shooting and passing activities with former women national player Do Thi Ngoc Cham, who played an active role in bringing the event to life.
With the support of Football For All in Vietnam (FFAV), a variety of activities were held in the football academies in the city of Hue, which also marks a significant milestone as it was FFAV’s sixth year of celebrating the Grassroots Day.
A part of the main celebration, FFAV also organised a series of events such as the Children Grassroots Football School, Fun Football Festival, Football Tournament and Goal event with a participation of more than 1,600 students from May 10 to 19.
The variety of activities brought about good opportunities for the children to have physical exercises in the beginning of summer, with the parents also playing a vital part during the activities.
