Arya News - The funding is expected to strengthen football infrastructure, nurture young talent and create more opportunities for players across the country.
THIMPHU – FIFA will provide USD 25 million to the Bhutan Football Federation (BFF) over the next four years to support football development, with a focus on infrastructure, youth and women’s football.
The announcement was made by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during an official visit to Bhutan.
The funding is expected to strengthen football infrastructure, nurture young talent and create more opportunities for players across the country.
Discussions during the visit centred on the future of Bhutanese football and the need to build on the progress made with FIFA’s support.
The BFF has made considerable progress with FIFA’s backing. However, the federation has reached a stage where fresh initiatives are needed to raise the standard of the national team and strengthen grassroots programmes.
BFF President Ugen Tsechup said that, with FIFA’s support, the federation had reached almost a plateau.
“We have proposed initiatives that will help us create a new graph and improve the quality and development of our national team and grassroots programmes,” he said.
The FIFA president assured the federation that he would give serious consideration to the proposals aimed at benefiting Bhutanese football.
He said further progress would depend on cooperation between FIFA, the BFF and the government, with a focus on infrastructure, talent development, coaching and opportunities for players to compete.
“We need to work together. New initiatives, new ideas, new ways to develop the game,” he said.
Under its talent development programmes, FIFA plans to work with the BFF to identify promising young players, support their development and strengthen the skills of local coaches.
One of the long-term proposals is to establish a FIFA academy in Bhutan for 500 young players, comprising 250 boys and 250 girls.
FIFA experts will assess the feasibility of the proposal, and no timeline for its establishment has been confirmed.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said talent existed everywhere, but players needed access to facilities, training and coaching expertise to fulfil their potential.
“The first point is talent is everywhere in the world. Everywhere is talent,” he said.
He said footballers needed opportunities to compete at national, regional, continental and international levels to gain experience.
“Competitions are the key,” he said.
Women’s football was another focus of the visit. The FIFA president praised the progress made in Bhutan and underlined the importance of creating development opportunities for both girls and boys.
For the BFF, the priority is to build on the gains made with FIFA’s support and translate them into further improvements for players and teams.
The proposed initiatives aim to strengthen grassroots programmes and improve the quality of the national team. Better coaching and regular competition could also provide young footballers with more opportunities to develop.
There is also a possibility of organising a regional tournament tentatively named the FIFA Himalaya Cup. However, the proposal remains under discussion and has not been confirmed.
He later attended a programme hosted by His Royal Highness Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck, President of the Bhutan Olympic Committee, featuring a traditional chibdrel ceremony, khadar presentation, cultural performances and demonstrations of Bhutanese traditional sports.