A meeting between AFC President Mohamed bin Hammam and Liu Peng,
head of China's State General Administration of Sports?(CSGAS)
has been confirmed by the CSGAS.
The meeting will discuss the development of football in China
and how AFC, the Chinese Sports Authorities and the China Football
Association can cooperate in accelerating the development of
football.
The timing of the meeting is opportune as it takes place in
Beijing on 24th April which is the day before the AFC/CFA Football
Development Conference in Qingdao. The Qingdao Conference takes
place under the Vision China programme and has the objective of
expanding the programme to fifteen additional football cities.
Liu Peng has confirmed his availability for the meeting. The AFC
delegation will be led by AFC president Mohamed Bin Hammam, who
will be accompanied by AFC General Secretary Dato Peter Velappan,
AFC Deputy General Secretary Dato Paul Mony and senior AFC
development staff.
Yang Li Guo, the General Secretary of China Student Sports
Federation and CFA top Officials, led by its General Secretary, Xie
Yalong, will also attend this meeting.
It is the first meeting between those four organizations sitting
together to discuss the possibility of cooperating on football
development and setting up a joint working committee to support
Vision China and China's Football Development.
The AFC sincerely appreciates the initiatives and determination
of the CSGAS, in promoting school football as part of the 11th
National Five-Year Development Plan of China. The strategic
directions of Vision China and expending project to others 15
cities will be also discussed at this meeting.
AFC President Mohamed bin Hammam commented on the eve of his
departure to China: "I am very much looking forward to the meeting
with?Liu Peng and to working with him and his officials on
developing football in China. I am also very pleased that the China
Student Sports Federation will be involved in our discussions."
(the-afc.com via CRI English April 21, 2006)