The inspection, which took place from July 10 to 12, saw the panellists meet with key personnel from the FAS, including General Secretary Badri Ghent and members of the Technical Division, where the AFC experts were briefed on the Association's overall grassroots development strategy as well as the numerous events and competitions conducted throughout the year.

The meetings also included a comprehensive overview of the FAS' structure, allowing the panel members to better understand how the Association successfully operates a centralised national grassroots framework, with functional areas ranging from managing festivals and leagues for women footballers and delivering female-only coach education workshops to curating grassroots mentor schemes and supporting talent identification.

The delegates were particularly impressed by the dedicated coaching course offered exclusively to women alongside the FAS' two annual general coaching courses, which further demonstrated the Association's steadfast commitment to expanding its pool of elite female coaches.

Backed by a solid financial framework supported by the government as well as a range of corporate partners, the FAS presented a comprehensive roadmap outlining its key targets for the year ahead, including increasing player participation, advancing referee development, expanding school football outreach and strengthening transition pathways from pre-school programmes to elite youth squads – further reinforcing the panel's confidence in renewing the gold membership under the Charter.

"We are grateful to the AFC for this recognition, and proud to be retaining our Gold Membership under the AFC Grassroots Charter – a strong affirmation of the consistency and quality of our grassroots programmes over the years,” said the FAS General Secretary.

“This recognition does not happen by chance – it reflects sustained effort across our schools, communities and partner organisations to keep the grassroots pathway strong, accessible and relevant for everyone who wants to play the game.

“Holding on to Gold status pushes us to hold ourselves to an even higher standard. We remain committed to working closely with the AFC, our member clubs and community partners to ensure grassroots football continues to grow participation, nurture talent and lay a sturdy foundation for the future of Singapore football," he added