AFC Dream Asia
A collaborative effort between the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Dream Asia Foundation, the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC) and the Indochina Starfish Foundation (ISF), the project, since its inception in 2020, has played a key role in equipping young people in the Southeast Asian nation with the skills to address social challenges through the beautiful game.
In 2024, the AFC-ISF Dream Asia Legacy Project focused on three key programmes, namely the Young Coach Development Pathway, the Continuous Coach Development Pathway, and Social Impact Training for Coaches and Young Leaders, providing opportunities to youngsters not only in Phnom Penh but also in the rural provinces of Siem Reap and Kampong Thom.
Last year, 10 young participants completed the Youth Coach Development Pathway, who following their training, are now equipped with the necessary knowledge and tools to pursue a career in football coaching.
Meanwhile, under the Continuous Coach Development Pathway, 13 ISF coaches, including three women, enhanced their qualifications through several specialised training initiatives, such as Special Educational Needs (SEN), First Aid, and refereeing, which have increased their chances of gaining employment.
Similarly, the Social Impact Training for Coaches and Young Leaders provided training courses to more than 200 young coaches and leaders.
An inspiring success story of this initiative is 20-year-old Kanha, who joined the programme as a student in 2016 and rose through the ranks to become a full-time coach in 2024, building confidence, improving communication skills, and achieving financial independence.
Her remarkable journey, from a young girl hesitant to step onto the pitch to a confident leader mentoring the next generation, is one of the many instances of the project’s transformative impact.
Having trained more than 600 coaches and leaders over the last five years, the initiative has touched the lives of over 10,000 individuals, further upholding the AFC Dream Asia Foundation’s overarching theme of “Football Cares”.
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