by Gamini Perera
The SAARC Football Championship, 2002, due to be staged in Dacca, Bangladesh between January 26 and February 5, was called-off due to unavoidable circumstances.

The Executive Committee of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), at a meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on February 8, 2002 took a decision to recommend to the FIFA - the world governing body for football - to lift the suspension on the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF).

The BFF was suspended by FIFA, following the dissolution of the democratically elected body by the government on December 20, 2001.

The Bangladesh government, then formed an Ad Hoc Committee to manage the affairs of the Bangladesh Football Federation.

On February 4, 2002, BFF’s elected Executive Committee was reinstated and the Ad Hoc Committee dissolved.

This was confirmed by the BFF Secretary, Mr. Harunur Rashid, who requested the AFC Executive Committee at its meeting held on February 8, 2002 to request FIFA to lift the suspension.

Now, the AFC Executive Committee had requested the BFF to amend its constitution and to comply with the statutes of the AC AFC and FIFA.

Asian Games F’ball championships

Another decision taken by the AFC Executive Committee on February 8, 2002 was to conduct the 14th Asian Games Football Championship in Pusan, Korea which will be an Under-23 tournament. But, the participating countries will be permitted to field three over-aged players, as in the case with the Olympics.

This decision made by the Executive Committee of the AFC was to ensure that the tournament fits in with the AFC’s development efforts for the continent.

At the moment, there are the Under-14, Under-17 and Under-20 competitions at the regional level, but, few involving under-23 sides, which are the "missing link" to the senior national teams.

The Olympic Council of Asia will be informed of the AFC decision, shortly.

X-Rays

The X-Rays will continued to be used to determine the age of players in AFC youth competitions, but additional methods will also be considered. This was another decision made by the AFC Executive Committee.

Ex-Co approves

The Executive Committee of the AFC also approved a list of countries that will host the AFC Under-17 and Under-20 qualifying rounds.

The AFC Under-17 finals will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), from September 6 to September 22, 2002.

The Under-20 event will be hosted by Qatar from October 15 to October 31, 2002.

Sri Lanka will participate in both these championships.

Trials were scheduled to be held last weekend (Saturday 16/2 and Sunday 17/2) to pick a national pool to compete in those two championships.

In the AFC Under-17 championships, 2002, Sri Lanka is placed in Group 5, along with Uzbekistan and Kyrgystan.

In the AFC under-20 championships, Sri Lanka will meet Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives.

To the mainstream

The AFC will work to bring Afghanistan back to the mainstream of football on the continent.

The AFC Executive Committee endorsed efforts by the English FA to stage a match in Kabul last Friday, (February 15) between the International Security and Assistance Forces (SAF) and a team called Kabul ‘A’.

Afghanistan, is a founder-member of the ACF AFC. Afghanistan will also be given priority for the development under the FIFA Goal Project.

An AFC delegation is due to visit Afghanistan as the situation permits.