On the first day of the inspection, the experts met with TFF officials, including Vice Presidents Sakyvli Donierzoda and Alisher Urunov, who demonstrated the TFF’s strategic direction, built on a long-term vision for grassroots development.

The panellists also met with members of the Committee on Youth and Sports Affairs under the Government of Tajikistan and were presented with a robust collaborative framework that features competitions and playing opportunities for children living even in the most remote villages, the efforts of which contributed to the participation of approximately 300,000 children during World Football Week earlier this year.

The AFC delegation also visited the TFF Academy in Gissar and the Juventus Football Academy to gain a first-hand understanding of the training environments available to children in their formative years, ranging from early development to the national youth level.

Furthermore, the panel observed several friendly grassroots competitions taking place in the region, which saw enthusiastic participation from more than 70 teams and over 1,200 players, further demonstrating the Federation’s commitment to ensuring accessible and ongoing playing opportunities.

Another major highlight noted by the experts was the TFF’s successful launch of the Football For Schools (F4S) programme in 130 schools, with plans to expand to 500 by the end of 2026, alongside the Federation’s ambition to increase active player participation to eight per cent of the national population by 2030.

With 70% of the TFF’s grassroots activities funded by key stakeholders, many of which are government bodies such as the Ministry of Education, the panellists acknowledged the strong leadership, sustained sponsorship support, and collective efforts that reaffirm the Federation’s commitment to building a stronger foundation for the development of grassroots football across the Central Asian nation.

TFF President Rustami Emomali said: “We believe that football should be accessible to everyone, regardless of place of residence, family income, or level of preparation, and receiving the AFC Grassroots Charter endorsement at the Gold level is a recognition that we are building a system where football knows no barriers.”