November 13, 2025: The 4^th AFC Grassroots Football Conference concluded on Thursday, following three days of dynamic knowledge exchange aimed at ushering a new era for grassroots football development across Asia. Bringing together more than 100 grassroots managers and specialists from across the AFC Member Associations (MAs), the conference also featured the AFC Special Awards ceremony, recognising the remarkable contributions of individuals and academies in advancing and  on the Continent.

The tone for the programme was set by AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh’s keynote address, which underscored the importance of ensuring access for all, emphasising key tenets such as safety, health, and happiness, while cautioning against common challenges such as creating premature competitive environments and early exposure to 11v11 formats.The following day featured a series of engaging sessions, including UEFA Technical Advisor Frank Ludolph’s presentation on UEFA’s strategic vision for the future.
Focusing on the Confederation’s long-term vision and best practices, Ludolph outlined the various ways in which UEFA supports its MAs, ranging from forging meaningful partnerships with key stakeholders to assisting associations in meeting the core requirements of the UEFA Grassroots Charter.

Meanwhile, in the spirit of the programme’s theme, “Grassroots Football in Asia: The Next Chapter,” AFC Grassroots Advisor Robin Russell provided participants with insights into innovative approaches to addressing key challenges such as player dropout, shortage of volunteers, and inadequate infrastructure, while also touching upon the advent of technological advancements and the emerging importance of artificial intelligence. The conference also featured an informative session on coaching guidelines at the foundational stage, which explored recommended playing formats and developmental goals tailored to specific age groups. The highlight of the final day was an overview of the collaborative research project between the AFC and the University of Tsukuba, one of Japan’s most distinguished institutions, whose alumni include Brighton & Hove Albion striker Kaoru Mitoma and Sint-Truiden centre-back Shogo Taniguchi.

Drawing on data collected from youth and grassroots models across the Continent, the project aims to study and deliver tailored solutions to enhance the overall landscape of youth football through region-specific support. Additionally, the programme comprised multiple breakout sessions, where participants engaged enthusiastically in a range of themes, including imparting essential life skills through the expansion of the beautiful game across Asia. “This conference is an incredible platform for all the MAs to convene and see how far they’ve come,” said AFC Grassroots Panel member Cheri Stewart.  “Every edition, we see new faces who bring fantastic new ideas to the table, and it gives us a chance to also understand challenges from different perspectives. It is heartening to see the amount of hard work being put into this ecosystem, and I already cannot wait for the next conference.”

Echoing her sentiments, Football Federation of Sri Lanka’s Head of Grassroots Chaminda Steinwall said: “We are grateful to the AFC for providing the opportunity for us to meet our peers and learn from each other. We’ve surely learnt a lot and will return to our respective organisations with a wealth of knowledge which we can use to improve our existing programmes.”