Bangkok: A new state-of-the-art mini-pitch, funded by the Initiatives Programme of AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, was opened yesterday in Bangkok, Thailand.
The pitch was inaugurated at the new FA Thailand High Performance Training Centre at Bangkok Thonburi University, ahead of tonight’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Annual Awards 2017, held in Bangkok.
The launch event was attended by the AFC President, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, FA Thailand President Police General Somyot Poompanmoung and President of Bangkok Thonburi University Dr Bangon Benjathikul.
They were also joined by the Chairman of the AFC Social Responsibility Committee Ahmed Eid, member of the AFC Social Responsibility Committee and former Korea Republic and Manchester United player Park Ji-sung and FIFA Legend Dwight Yorke.
Altogether 160 refugee and stateless children from Thailand’s border areas, identified and selected by AFC’s Social Responsibility partner UNHCR, were invited to the launch. The AFC, led by Chairman Ahmed Eid, donated one hundred durable footballs provided in partnership with the One World Play Project (OWPP) to the children.
Park Ji-sung and Dwight Yorke led the football training session with this year’s AFC Player of the Year and Women’s Player of the Year nominees as well as Thailand national team head coach Milovan Rajevac, his coaching staff and former and current national senior and youth team players.
The AFC and UNHCR partnership, currently operating in Malaysia, is to be extended into Thailand and the children who took part in the inauguration event yesterday will be involved in a project furthering health awareness and social inclusion through football.
Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the AFC President, said: “I am delighted that the AFC can concretely support FA Thailand’s grassroots and community football through the AFC Mini-Pitch Scheme. Access to top class facilities is a challenge in many Member Associations and these pitches will bring the joy of football to children and adults, to girls and boys and women and men, across Asia.”
Two other pitches were also inaugurated at the training centre, built with the support of the FIFA Forward Fund.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “Providing the right infrastructure is vital for football development and I am sure these pitches will play an important part in taking Thailand’s football to the next level.
“The Thailand women’s national team has qualified for next year’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Jordan and the men’s team will play at the AFC Asian Cup 2019 – my congratulations to both! I am sure this great facility will help them in their preparations.
The pitches will also help future generations of players, such as the young stateless children who have joined us in Bangkok today. They are the future of the game and I applaud FA Thailand and the AFC Foundation in conjunction with UNHCR for their initiative in supporting these children.”
Speaking at the launch ceremony, FA Thailand President Police General Somyot Poompanmoung said: “I would like to thank the AFC and FIFA for their development funding to build these facilities and football pitches. They will provide high-quality training grounds to our talented young players who will benefit a lot from the new facilities.”
The construction of the AFC mini-pitch in Bangkok began in July. The surface is durable artificial turf and the facilities are equipped with lighting masts, allowing for training and matches in the evenings.
The AFC President’s Initiatives is a development programme for football across Asia which was launched in June 2014. The mini-pitch scheme funded under the programme has seen more than 50 mini-pitches built in 15 countries since the project started.
Photos: AFC
Source: the-afc.com