It is reported that the official website of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) disclosed that the head of the grassroots soccer and youth soccer department of the AFC, Masahiro Kashiyama, together with the representatives of the AFC Grassroots Football Expert Committee, Andres and Masao Nakayama, formed a delegation to visit our country from April 19th to 22nd, to gain a deeper understanding of the development situation of grassroots soccer. During the visit, the delegation had in-depth exchanges with CFA President Song Kai, Vice President and Secretary General Yuan Yongqing, and Vice President Xu Kiren.
The delegation listened to the report of the Social Football Department of CFA on the development and future planning of grassroots soccer in China, and observed the matches of Tianjin Amateur Football Super League and China Youth Football League (Tianjin Region). In addition, they also participated in activities such as D-level coaches' training course and Level 3 referees' training course. Chong Yong, Secretary General of Tianjin Football Association, introduced the current situation of grassroots soccer development in detail and accompanied the whole visit.
Upon arrival in Beijing, the delegation observed the training of the Beijing U11 girls' soccer team and first aid skills training for coaches, and exchanged views with Liu Jun, President of the Beijing Football Association (BFA), and Wu Shuo, Deputy Secretary General. They then visited the Love Kick Youth Football Club (Guomao Campus) and watched the Chinese Super League match between Beijing Guoan and Qingdao West Coast live. The AFC delegation was impressed by the tournament's initiative to promote grassroots soccer.
The delegation also went to the China Disabled Person's Sports Management Center to attend the opening ceremony of the 8th Disabled Person's Folk Football Competition to further understand the participation of special groups in the field of soccer in China.
On the afternoon of April 22, the AFC delegation held an inspection summary meeting with the CFA to comprehensively review the 4-day inspection trip. The AFC highly valued the efforts and achievements of the CFA and all parties in the field of grassroots soccer. In recent years, the Chinese government's strong support for soccer, the good operation of the association system, the contribution of professional grassroots soccer organizers, as well as high-level coaching and referee training have all been recognized by AFC. Meanwhile, the delegation also put forward development suggestions to the CFA on issues such as elite selection, non-elite retention, stadium safety and number of registrations.
Masahiro Kashiyama said, "Seeing so many Chinese youths spreading their smiles on the green fields on weekends, I believe the success of Chinese soccer is just around the corner!"
The purpose of the visit is to assess the eligibility of the CFA to apply for the Gold level of the AFC Grassroots Football Charter. AFC plans to complete the evaluation in May this year. Currently, the CFA is a silver member of the AFC Grassroots Football Charter.
