The five scholarship recipients – Tyson Scott (Australia), Rishab Kapur (India), Han Bits-yi (Korea Republic), Mahmoud Qaraqra (Palestine) and Michael Kevin Goco (Philippines) – completed their first semester at the De Montfort University in Leicester, England, on Humanities of Sport in December 2019 and are now relishing the experience in the next leg of the global and dynamic programme at Milan’s SDA Bocconi School of Management.

Having not played a competitive international game in the country for nearly a decade, the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL), with the assistance of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), has been busy making up for lost time through the AFC President’s Development Initiative.

As beneficiaries of the AFC Solidarity Fund, Tyson Scott (AUS), Rishab Kapur (IND), Han Bits-yi (KOR), Mahmoud Qaraqra (PLE) and Michael Kevin Goco (PHI), who were all endorsed by their respective Member Associations, will spend the next three months at De Montfort University in Leicester, England, for the Humanities of Sport module at the university’s renowned International Centre for Sports History and Culture.

In January, the class will then move to Italy to study Sports Management at Milan’s SDA Bocconi School of Management. Following the completion of this module, the class will finally transfer to Switzerland where they will be taught Sports Law at the University of Neuchâtel for the final module of the year.

The scholarships are part of the AFC’s commitment to enhance the capability of staff from the AFC’s Member Associations and were announced by the AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa at the 28th AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur last October.

Tyson Scott (Australia), Rishab Kapur (India), Han Bits Yi (Korea Republic), Mahmoud Qaraqra (Palestine) and Michael Kevin Goco (Philippines), who were all endorsed by their respective Member Associations, were selected by the CIES Scientific Committee (International Centre for Sports Studies), with the AFC Solidarity Fund financing their tuition fees.

The programme is divided into three modules with the candidates beginning their journey in September at the De Montfort University in Leicester, England on Humanities of Sport, before moving to Italy over the New Year to study Sports Management at Milan’s SDA Bocconi School of Management.

They will then transfer to the University of Neuchatel in Switzerland to tackle Sports Law for the third and final module.

Following the completion of the programme, the candidates will be offered 6 months’ work attachment at the AFC Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, to gain practical experience and further hone their individual skills.

Chaired by Salem Said Salem Al Wahaibi, the Committee heard of AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa’s President’s Development Initiative, the President’s Infrastructure Initiative as well as the Technical Staff Initiative and Football Administration Certificate (FAC).

The Committee learnt that 15 Member Associations (MAs) had benefited from the Development Initiative, 23 Mini Pitches were delivered to eight MAs in 2018 while FAC Editions Four and Five saw 42 graduates from 19 MAs and Editions Six and Seven 47 participants from 23 MAs – with Turkmenistan and Syria represented for the first time.

A total of 12 infrastructure projects were approved in 2018 and a further 24 this year under the President’s Infrastructure Initiative while 30 MAs applied for funding under the President’s Technical Staff Initiative of which 22 have been accepted so far.

The AFC Financial Assistance Programme (AFAP) has risen to USD500,000 in 2019 – an increase of 100% from 2018 – and will be distributed in two instalments to eligible MAs, who can then utilise these funds to achieve their goals and objectives.

A minimum of 10% from the AFAP must be distributed to drive Women’s Football/Women’s Futsal, Coach Education and Youth and Grassroots programmes, which further underlines the AFC’s Vision and Mission of promoting the sport at all levels.

Beginning 2020, all eligible MAs must employ full-time specialists in key areas such as Coach Education, Elite Youth Programmes, Women’s Football, Grassroots, Marketing, Refereeing, Legal Affairs, Media and Communications, Finance, International Relations, and Club Licensing in order to access their annual AFAP.

Recognising the need to build more football infrastructure, the highly-acclaimed Mini-Pitch scheme under the AFC President’s Infrastructure Initiative has been discontinued and MAs can now utilise the increase in contribution of USD 800,000 over the period of 2019-2020 for any infrastructure investment including mini-pitches.

As part of the AFC’s commitment to upskill staff from Asian countries, the AFC has joined forces with the Centre International d’Etude du Sport (CIES) to offer young professionals the chance to study on the FIFA Master International MA in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, which will be spread across three universities in Europe.

Financed through the AFC’s Solidarity Fund, which was announced by the AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa at the 28th AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur on October 31, 2018, the students will begin their studies in September at De Montfort University in Leicester, England, for a module on the Humanities of Sport.

At the start of the New Year, the class moves to Italy to study Sports Management at Milan’s SDA Bocconi School of Management. Following completion of this module, the class will transfer to Switzerland where they are taught Sports Law at the University of Neuchâtel for the final module of the year.

Shaikh Salman said: “The AFC is determined to raise standards in the game across Asia and that includes those who work so tirelessly off the field as well as those who compete on the pitch. Not only does Asia require outstanding players in the future but we also have a duty to deliver top class administrators.”

After their studies are complete on the FIFA Master, the graduates will then be offered a secondment to work at the AFC Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for a further year so that they can gain practical experience in Asia’s governing Confederation.

The AFC President added: “We are grateful for the partnership with CIES and for the opportunity that the students will have in experiencing not only life in Europe but also mixing with other students from a wide range of backgrounds.”

“This experience and the added bonus of working at the AFC HQ will benefit not only their Member Association but also the AFC - and Asian football in general – in the years and decades ahead. I wish all the candidates the very best of luck.”

The candidates will be chosen by CIES from applications by Asian staff working for an AFC Member Association. CIES Director Professor Denis Oswald said: “The new scholarship scheme that the AFC have generously offered will ensure that more candidates will be able to participate in our programme which is recognised as one of the best in the World.

“This is excellent news as, sometimes, very good candidates cannot take the course because they are not in a position to fund their participation.”

He added: “With over 90% of more than 500 FIFA Master graduates now working in the sports industry, the impact of the programme reaches across all continents and nations. Our alumni are currently working for organisations as diverse as, but not limited to the AFC, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), International Olympic Committee (IOC), Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), UEFA, Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC), NBA, FC Barcelona and Manchester City FC.”

Please note that the deadline to apply for the 20th edition of the course is Friday 11th January 2019, midday (12am) Central European Time.

Please click on this link to access the online application form

FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport has been ranked No.1 in Europe in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018 by the SportBusiness International global rankings. It is organised by CIES, in partnership with De Montfort University (United Kingdom), SDA Bocconi School of Management (Italy) and the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland).