The Chairman of The Football Association Greg Clarke visited on Thursday, February 15 the Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees in Northern Jordan, where he attended one of the football training sessions organised daily by the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP); a non-profit youth commission founded and chaired by HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein.
FA chairman Clarke praised the role of Jordan and AFDP in building resilience and providing safe spaces for the youth that have been displaced by the conflict in Syria.
The AFDP program provides regular training and organizes football leagues for over 5,000 boys and girls of all age groups, taking place at the full size artificial grass football field which was inaugurated in September 2017 by AFDP, UEFA Foundation for Children and Lay’s.
Following the visit to Zaatari, Jordan Football Association (JFA) and West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) members had the opportunity to meet with Clarke to discuss various areas of knowledge share and potential collaboration, and gave a presentation on Jordan’s preparations for hosting the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in April 2018.
“It has been a privilege to visit Jordan and the Jordan Football Association at the invitation of Prince Ali. The opportunity to visit the Zaatari refugee camp and the Syrian refugees has been a humbling experience. The work of the Jordanian people, UNHCR, donor nations and the Asian Football Development Project is making a significant difference to the lives of 80,000 Syrian people who have fled the war,” Clarke commented.
“Thanks to my colleague and friend FA Chairman Greg Clarke for taking the time to visit the refugee camp and for sharing his knowledge with members of the Jordan Football Association and West Asian Football Federation,” Prince Ali said.