AIPS ASIA News:

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s commitment to strengthen its engagement with passionate audiences in the virtual realm reached a significant milestone on Tuesday with the conclusion of the first-ever AFC Football eSports Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Building on the successful launch of the AFC eAsian Cup earlier this year alongside the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™, the two-day forum brought together key stakeholders and eSports experts to explore ways to strengthen and expand the Football eSports ecosystem in Asia.

Featuring an exciting line-up of speakers from leading eSports organisations as well as AFC Member Associations (MAs), the event commenced with an introductory session aimed at familiarising the participants with the Confederation’s Football eSports strategy. 

“Earlier this year, we marked the beginning of a new chapter in the Confederation’s rich legacy when we introduced the AFC eAsian Cup,” said AFC Deputy General Secretary Shin Man Gil.

“It demonstrated the immense potential of eSports and opened the doors to welcome a whole new section of fans. We must embrace digital innovations to expand the reach of our sport and deepen our connection with fans, especially with our younger audience.”

A session reviewing key moments from the AFC eAsian Cup provided the backdrop for a presentation by the Football Association of Indonesia on cultivating Football eSports talent in the Southeast Asian nation, which, with a thriving eSports culture, clinched the inaugural title.

This was followed by knowledge-sharing exercises, including insights from the United Arab Emirates Football Association.

“Listening to the success stories of our peers has been incredibly inspiring and we will return from this Forum with a wealth of knowledge that will surely contribute to enhancing our respective football eSports initiatives,” said Pranav Jayachandran of the All India Football Federation. 

“The world of football eSports is continuously expanding and to be part of this process is really exciting. 

“The AFC eAsian Cup was not only a thrilling experience but also signalled the immense potential of Asian teams, and we are all eager to see how this ecosystem evolves in the future.”

Proceedings on the second day began with KONAMI highlighting the latest updates to its flagship football video game, eFootball™, which now includes the AFC Champions League Elite™ and the AFC Champions League Two™. 

In yet another insightful session, participants were introduced to innovative approaches for leveraging digital platforms to engage younger audiences effectively. 

With the Confederation also set to launch its inaugural club-focused event, the AFC eChampions League Elite in April – May 2025, the AFC Football eSports Forum provided participants with valuable inputs to further enhance their Football eSports systems, thereby underlining the Confederation’s commitment towards providing tailored support to its MAs for their success on the world’s biggest stages.  

Courtesy AFC