The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) on Monday was awarded the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) Grassroots Charter Bronze Membership for the development of grassroots football.

The Grassroots Charter is a development tool for Member Associations (MA) to raise the quality of their grassroots programs, according to the AFC, which identifies 20 performance categories such as grassroots competitions, structure, long-term planning and partnerships.

AFF is the 24th Member Association to receive the membership, joining the likes of Australia, China PR, Malaysia, among others, from across the continent.

The AFF has been focusing on three key areas: MA-endorsed grassroots programs, grassroots competitions and grassroots courses.

A major strength of the AFF in relation to grassroots growth is its philosophy in cooperating with other MAs around the region, according to the AFC’s website.

There have been over 180 games and events in Afghanistan, with over 4,700 recorded participating.

AFF’s various projects bring in participants from all ethnicities, religions, abilities or disabilities. And women’s game’s are one AFF’s top priorities. There are also plans for a U-14 league.

The AFF categorises youth into four phases: fun, foundation, formative and final. Children from the ages of 6 to 10 are introduced to the game, where the goal is to enjoy football.