Courtesy: AFC.com

Kuala Lumpur: The new Asian futsal strategy to see an Asian champion in the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup has already been set in motion and AFC Elite Futsal Coaching Instructors are among the first people to work on the important mission.

An Asian Futsal Strategic Plan 2013-2018 was laid down during a FIFA/AFC Seminar on the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup Thailand which closed on Monday in Kuala Lumpur.

The plan envisions that the next immediate goal is to get the fourth-place finishing in the 2016 edition and then come 2020 to see four futsal nations in the World Cup, before an Asian nation becomes a champion in 2024.

Various short and medium-term goals in the areas of coaching, refereeing, competitions, grassroots, youth and women were laid down to achieve these targets.

And on Monday, 17 AFC Elite Futsal Coaching Instructors started a two-day course in Kuala Lumpur where AFC Futsal Development Director Ali Targholozadeh emphasised on the new role and responsibilities of the instructors to help make the Futsal World Cup dream a reality.

“The role and responsibility of the AFC Elite Futsal Coaching Instructors now is not just to train coaches but to also ask the MAs what they need to improve their futsal,” Targholizadeh told The-AFC.com.

“During the coaches training courses, the instructors will study also the MAs’ competitions, structures, etc, and make reports and recommendations to the AFC. If it is a minor request from the MAs, we’ll adopt it but if it’s a major one, we will request the AFC Futsal Committee to let us assist them.

“This system is effective immediately and our instructors will begin this mission in the next few upcoming courses in Uzbekistan, Jordan, Kuwait, Iran and more.”

One of the instructors, Chiew Chun Yong of Malaysia, believes the futsal strategic plan is feasible and would like to see cooperation from the MAs to realise it.

“To see an Asian nation as the champions of the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2024 as laid out in the strategic plan is possible but we need cooperation from everyone to make this happen,” he said.

“We need cooperation especially from the MAs to help them set all the necessary groundwork to improve their futsal, to strengthen their competitions, and so on. Looking at the current futsal situations in the MAs to achieve this high goal for Asia, on top of our normal coaches instructing, is now part of our job and it’s not easy. We need to influence the MAs to work on the game.

“We need to help the MAs see the importance of garnering all their resources to improve all aspects of the game, especially coaching as we are the experts in coaches training. We will have to build on the quantity first, then the quality.”

Jordanian instructor Shamil Al Daghistani echoed his colleague’s sentiment and added that Japan and Iran are in the forefront in the 2024 Futsal World Cup vision.

“I think Japan and Iran have the best chance to help the continent become the champions in the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup because they are already advanced in all areas from youth right up to the professional league,” he said.

“As per the Asian Futsal Strategic Plan 2013-2018, we now have the added responsibility to look at the futsal situations in the MAs and report to the AFC for further development.

“This is an excellent plan and we look forward to making greater contributions to this Asian Futsal World Cup champions vision and working together will all stakeholders to achieve it.”