22 September: Asian football leaders will head to Tokyo from 21-22 October for the AFC Presidents and General Secretaries Conference, co-hosted with the Japan FA.
More than 120 delegates from AFC member associations and regional associations are expected to attend the meeting, which comes six days after the FIFA Council meeting, where the AFC is one of the confederations urging FIFA to distribute $10 million to national FAs from its reserves.
The AFC Tokyo meeting is an important knowledge-sharing and networking platform for Asian FAs, but this year it will inevitably have the off-platform theme of the current institutional crisis facing FIFA and the current governance clash between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and FIFA’s member associations.
The Tokyo edition of the meeting follows previous iterations in Tashkent, Seoul and Riyadh and will address topics such as AI, innovation, development and leadership in women’s football.
AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, who will deliver the opening address, said: “AFC remains committed to continuously raising the capabilities of our MAs and RAs, and our progress will take another collective step forward at this year’s Conference.
“The program has been designed to ensure that all participants leave with beneficial knowledge. As crucial stakeholders in the Asian game, it is imperative that our MAs and RAs are equipped with the necessary tools to maintain the highest professional and governance standards, ensuring a brighter future for generations to come.”
Speakers include:
- Tsuneyasu Miyamoto – President of the JFA
- Craig Hepburn – CEO and Founding Partner, 1706 Studio
- Jennifer Mellors – Client Partner and Integrity Solutions Manager, Sportradar
- Robert Lawrence Skinner – Head of Partnerships and Global Engagement, United Nations
- Dinish De Silva – South Asia Unit Manager, AFC
- Bai Lili – Head of Women’s Football Development, AFC
- Jessie Dai Shengying – Head of Competition Strategy Department, AFC
- Hirokazu Abe – Head of Referees Department, AFC
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