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Jeonbuk State, in collaboration with the Jeonbuk State Office of Education and Jeonbuk Physicl Education Middle & High School, is continuing international exchange and friendship through sports by delivering sports equipment donated by students to youth in three African nations. On the 5th, the State and the Office of Education held a send-off ceremony at Jeonbuk Sports Middle & High School for the project titled “Re; Play Together, Jeonbuk Sports Friendship Gifts,” shipping the items to Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Namibia. The theme, ‘Re; Play Together,’ signifies resuming games (Re; Play) that had been halted due to a shortage of soccer balls and sports gear, this time together with Jeonbuk.

This initiative goes beyond mere material support; it aims to practice solidarity and friendship across borders through sports and to expand the foundation for exchange among future generations. In particular, sharing equipment that students actually used spreads the value of sharing while extending Jeonbuk’s international sports diplomacy into schools and the local community. The project originated from visits last year by officials from Zimbabwe and Namibia, with whom Jeonbuk has maintained international sports exchanges. During their visit to Jeonbuk Sports Middle & High School, they requested support for sports equipment. Students readily agreed to contribute, leading to a broader international exchange program supported by the State, the Office of Education, and the school. The donated items total 616 pieces across 12 sports, including soccer, taekwondo, shooting, archery, swimming, etc. —comprising both gear previously used by students and new items collected for this project. The equipment will be delivered to the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and National Olympic Committees of each country via Zimbabwean diplomatic missions and international shipping. It will then be distributed to young athletes and youth active in organizations such as the Kirsty Coventry Academy in Zimbabwe, the Waitaka Taekwondo Club in Kenya, and the MTC Hopsol Youth Soccer League in Namibia.

Kim Jong-phil, Director General of Jeonbuk State’s 2036 Summer Olympics Bid Department, stated: “I hope the precious sports items that nurtured the dreams of our Jeonbuk students will serve as a new source of hope for African youth. Moving forward, we will continue to promote international exchange through sports, guided by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) core values of inclusion and solidarity.” Im Young-gun, Director of Arts, Physical Ed & Health Division at the Jeonbuk State Office of Education, said, “It was a meaningful opportunity for our students to put into practice the spirit of sportsmanship through sharing and caring while developing a global perspective. We hope that the students’ small but heartfelt gesture will be warmly received by young people in Africa.”

Meanwhile, Jeonbuk State has been steadily expanding its international sports network by dispatching a Taekwondo demonstration team to the World Taekwondo U-21 Championship in Kenya, participating in the World Union of Olympic Cities General Assembly, and broadening sports exchanges with African nations. Starting with the “Sports Friendship Gift” pilot project, Jeonbuk State plans to consider expanding the countries and sports covered by the initiative, while also promoting the hosting of international sporting events and exchange programs inviting young athletes from overseas, with the goal of developing Jeonbuk into a specialized international sports city.

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4th AFC Grassroots Football Conference reinforces commitment to greater expansion

November 13, 2025: The 4th 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.”

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4th AFC Grassroots Football Conference reinforces commitment to greater expansion

November 13, 2025: The 4th 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.”

Publications
”More>>”
Videos
”More>>”

Jeonbuk State, in collaboration with the Jeonbuk State Office of Education and Jeonbuk Physicl Education Middle & High School, is continuing international exchange and friendship through sports by delivering sports equipment donated by students to youth in three African nations. On the 5th, the State and the Office of Education held a send-off ceremony at Jeonbuk Sports Middle & High School for the project titled “Re; Play Together, Jeonbuk Sports Friendship Gifts,” shipping the items to Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Namibia. The theme, ‘Re; Play Together,’ signifies resuming games (Re; Play) that had been halted due to a shortage of soccer balls and sports gear, this time together with Jeonbuk.

This initiative goes beyond mere material support; it aims to practice solidarity and friendship across borders through sports and to expand the foundation for exchange among future generations. In particular, sharing equipment that students actually used spreads the value of sharing while extending Jeonbuk’s international sports diplomacy into schools and the local community. The project originated from visits last year by officials from Zimbabwe and Namibia, with whom Jeonbuk has maintained international sports exchanges. During their visit to Jeonbuk Sports Middle & High School, they requested support for sports equipment. Students readily agreed to contribute, leading to a broader international exchange program supported by the State, the Office of Education, and the school. The donated items total 616 pieces across 12 sports, including soccer, taekwondo, shooting, archery, swimming, etc. —comprising both gear previously used by students and new items collected for this project. The equipment will be delivered to the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and National Olympic Committees of each country via Zimbabwean diplomatic missions and international shipping. It will then be distributed to young athletes and youth active in organizations such as the Kirsty Coventry Academy in Zimbabwe, the Waitaka Taekwondo Club in Kenya, and the MTC Hopsol Youth Soccer League in Namibia.

Kim Jong-phil, Director General of Jeonbuk State’s 2036 Summer Olympics Bid Department, stated: “I hope the precious sports items that nurtured the dreams of our Jeonbuk students will serve as a new source of hope for African youth. Moving forward, we will continue to promote international exchange through sports, guided by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) core values of inclusion and solidarity.” Im Young-gun, Director of Arts, Physical Ed & Health Division at the Jeonbuk State Office of Education, said, “It was a meaningful opportunity for our students to put into practice the spirit of sportsmanship through sharing and caring while developing a global perspective. We hope that the students’ small but heartfelt gesture will be warmly received by young people in Africa.”

Meanwhile, Jeonbuk State has been steadily expanding its international sports network by dispatching a Taekwondo demonstration team to the World Taekwondo U-21 Championship in Kenya, participating in the World Union of Olympic Cities General Assembly, and broadening sports exchanges with African nations. Starting with the “Sports Friendship Gift” pilot project, Jeonbuk State plans to consider expanding the countries and sports covered by the initiative, while also promoting the hosting of international sporting events and exchange programs inviting young athletes from overseas, with the goal of developing Jeonbuk into a specialized international sports city.

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