The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced its nominees for the prestigious AFC Annual Awards 2024, and for the first time, Bangladesh has received two nominations across separate categories. The 26th edition of the awards will be held on 16 October in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with honours presented across 20 categories, recognising excellence in Asian football.
The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has been shortlisted in two significant areas: the Grassroots Award (Bronze Category) and the Member Association of the Year (Ruby Category). This marks the highest number of nominations Bangladesh has ever received at the AFC Awards.
The AFC Grassroots Award recognises efforts made at the foundational levels of football development. In the Bronze Category, Bangladesh is nominated alongside the Northern Mariana Islands and Vietnam. This is BFF’s first-ever recognition for grassroots football by the AFC.
The nomination comes after BFF’s extensive grassroots initiatives, including a major event on AFC Grassroots Day at the Shamsul Huda Academy in Jessore, where hundreds of young players participated. In addition, BFF also provided formal recognition to all registered academies in Rajshahi, strengthening youth football development in the country. These initiatives, along with a detailed submission to the AFC, formed the basis of the nomination.
Neighbouring India, widely considered a regional leader in grassroots football, has been nominated in the Silver Category, alongside Malaysia and Guam. Meanwhile, the Gold Category features China, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Beyond grassroots development, the AFC also honours national football associations for their all-round contributions throughout the year. In the Member Association of the Year (Ruby Category), Bangladesh has again been shortlisted, this time alongside Guam and Laos. This award considers overall administrative performance, developmental initiatives, and international representation.
While Bangladesh finds itself in the third tier in both categories, the nominations are a significant step forward. In previous years, the BFF was recognised with the AFC Member Association Inspiring Award, but this is the first time it has received dual recognition.
These nominations reflect not only Bangladesh’s growing presence in Asian football but also the tangible progress being made at the grassroots and administrative levels.
