Courtesy: The AFC.com


Asia starts 2012 with a bang

Friday, 13 January 2012

Kuala Lumpur: AFC General Secretary Dato’ Alex Soosay is proud to note that Asian football has already started the new year with the highest achievements at the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2011 award ceremony in Zurich on Monday.

Speaking while officially closing the Referee Directors’ Course, a new programme in the AFC Elite Education Seminar 2012 in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, Dato’ Alex said:

“The new year 2012 already started with a bang for us. Japan women’s national captain in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup Homare Sawa won the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award while the coach for Sawa’s team, Norio Sasaki, grabbed the FIFA Women's Football Coach of the Year award. All these after the achievements we made together last year.

“And this early success sets the pace of our work for this important year in which we will have youth competitions, FIFA Futsal World Cup in Thailand and the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

“Therefore we bring you here to ensure that the development pathway is firmly set so that future success will follow. Our Referees Department is dedicated to serving you to ensure the pathway is clear because only though teamwork we can achieve higher targets for the Asian game.

“We at AFC will be here to share with you how to develop, retain and motivate your talents including the referees so that you develop and the continent also develops."

Dato’ Alex was also happy that the referees are working hard to stay on top of the game and this augurs well with this year’s focus.

“Our referees are on top and they are our most important tool because integrity is the highest commodity in the game and their integrity is our responsibility and your responsibility as well.

“You need to know how to choose the best referees for us to appoint in our top matches and consequently in top FIFA matches and I believe you will be better equipped to do this job after the course.

“Therefore, I would like to call upon you to work with us, share your knowledge and experience from the course with your colleagues back home and empower more people with what we have empowered you with here.

“And together we realise our theme for this year which is professionalism.”




Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com