Asian Football Confederation President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa met with Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister Harin Fernando and cricketing legend Sanath Jayasuriya during his current visit to Sri Lanka
Discussions focused on the future of sports in the region, particularly football.
“Very fruitful meeting with His Excellency Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Asian Football Confederation President, during his visit to Sri Lanka! Discussed the future of sports in our region with Sri Lanka’s sports minister Harin Fernando” Cricket legend Sanath Jayasuriya tweeted.
Shaikh Salman also held productive talks with Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) President Jaswar Umar, praising the strategic advancements in Sri Lankan football.
The “Football Forward Sri Lanka 2024-2027” strategic plan was highlighted during his visit. This initiative, backed by 1 billion Sri Lankan Rupees, aims to revitalize football at all levels in the country, introducing projects like a new women’s football league and long-term plans for various national teams.
Shaikh Salman expressed his satisfaction with the FFSL’s alignment with AFC and FIFA governance standards, and reaffirmed the AFC’s support through the AFC Enhance Programme. FFSL President Jaswar expressed gratitude for the ongoing support and emphasized the federation’s commitment to working alongside the AFC to boost the sport’s profile nationally. (NewsWire)