The two-day event included sessions on developing, reviewing, and implementing safeguarding protocols in competitions, ensuring participants were equipped with the tools and knowledge to create a safe and conducive environment for children and young people to develop a lifelong passion for the beautiful game.

The first day of the seminar kicked off with a workshop by Mr. Octavian Bivolaru, FIFA’s Senior Manager Special Projects & Case Liaison, with Ms. Fatima Esha, SAFF Safeguarding Officer, providing participants with a clear blueprint on the ways in which to craft comprehensive safeguarding protocols and establishing methods to facilitate continuous improvements.

The second day saw the focus shift towards practical implementation at a local stadium where participants obtained a live demonstration of routine safeguarding checks, scenario-based training to better understand the protocols of responding to incidents, and interactive sessions on safeguarding practices tailored for players.

The seminar also marked a milestone moment in the Regional Association (RA)’s child safeguarding journey with the soft launch of the SAFF’s Dream Asia “Kick Off” initiative, aimed at promoting inclusivity and safeguarding in South Asian football.

 

With child safeguarding forming one of the three pillars of the AFC Dream Asia Foundation’s social responsibility efforts, the SAFF Competition Safeguarding Seminar 2024 represents another decisive step for the AFC and its MAs and RAs in fostering a safe, positive, and encouraging environment for children and young people of all ages and abilities.

Photos courtesy of SAFF