Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President, has hailed the commitment of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) towards lifting the standards of the game. Shaikh Salman, who held fruitful discussions with FFSL President Jaswar Umar during his visit to Colombo, praised the recent initiatives undertaken by the FFSL and also noted the progress of the Sri Lanka Men's National Team, AFC said on its website. Earlier this February, President Jaswar unveiled the 'Football Forward Sri Lanka 2024-2027' strategic plan, which will see 1 billion Sri Lankan Rupees (USD3.34m) being allocated to a total of 15 different projects with the aim of boosting football across all levels in the country. These include the establishment of a domestic calendar for all competitions, such as a new women's football league, as well as long-term plans for the various national teams. Last month, the Golden Army hosted and took part in the first ever FIFA World Series, where they held Papua New Guinea and beat Bhutan - both higher-ranked opponents - in Colombo. Sri Lanka will also contest the Qualifiers Playoff Round of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027S in September 2024. Shaikh Salman said: 'It is very heartening to witness the concrete and ambitious plans that are being undertaken by the Football Federation of Sri Lanka to elevate football in the country to the next level. 'The adoption of the Federation's statutes in line with the AFC and FIFA's good governance principles, alongside the unity demonstrated by its members under President Jaswar's leadership, is indeed commendable. I am confident that these collective efforts towards governance stability will greatly benefit Sri Lankan football.' Noting that a portion of the funding for the Football Forward plan comes from the AFC Enhance Programme, Shaikh Salman reiterated the AFC's support for the FFSL and underlined the AFC's firm commitment towards developing its Member Associations. FFSL President Jaswar expressed his gratitude towards t he AFC President for his unwavering support and added that the FFSL is determined to work closely together with the Confederation in order to uplift football in Sri Lanka. Source: Bahrain News Agency
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