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Bhutan's
Sports: Football |
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Bhutan Information |
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A
vision for Bhutanese football
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| There
was no marketing, virtually no sponsors, the government's aid was negligible,
and the only source, Federation Internationale de Football Federation's
annual grant would remain the same.So
how can the Bhutan Football Federation still meet its objective with the
available resources when its vision for developing the game in the country
is blurred by financial deficit? |
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The
answer is expected to be ready by this evening as the Federation Internationale
de Football Association (FIFA) development officials and the BFF's executive
members, arrive at a long-term plan for the federation to be achieved within
the stipulated time and within the limited budget.
The
three-member FIFA delegation arrived in Thimphu to assess the
status of various aspects of football in Bhutan, looking at youth football,
men's competition, women's competition, administration, planning event
and management.
This
would enable the international football governing body to point to the
federation and where it stands today, and where it is headed.
"The
idea is to develop together with the association a plan which has a vision
for about four years to develop football in the country," said FIFA's development
manager for Asia and Oceanic Mr. David Borja.
"We
are trying to plan together with national associations to plan so that
the money is used in the best possible way to develop football."
Mr.
David Borja said that it was an exercise implemented by FIFA and targeted
more towards emerging national associations like BFF.
He
stressed that BFF would not be dictated to but advised on its activities,
based on the experience of other countries, and based on the Bhutanese
situation.
"It
is not FIFA deciding but we advise best options from global experience.
We need to be realistic and make use of the available resources."
"The
long-term vision document established should have the ideas ideally coming
from the association because it is Bhutan who will implement and profit
from it."
BFF's
general secretary Ugyen Wangchuk said that the 'vision' would guide the
federation in its endeavour.
"We
will find where our football is going and if we are on the right field
and if not how to go about it."
"It
will give us an idea on the long-term planning of our federation."
Ugyen
Wangchuk added that it was also 'refocusing' the budget to utilise it to
its maximum capacity. The long term planning would be reflected in FIFA's
annual financial granted of US$ 250,000.
The
visionary document would also be presented internally to FIFA. The officials
had just established a similar vision for Nepal.
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| Contributed
byBishal Rai, Kuensel, Bhutan's National Newspaper 2005 |
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