The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has earned continental recognition for its grassroots development initiatives, receiving the AFC President’s Recognition Award for Grassroots Football (Bronze) at the AFC Awards Night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) praised BFF for its efforts to expand football at the local level through increased tournaments, collaboration with youth academies, and educational programmes promoting the sport’s growth nationwide. The federation was honoured for “organising more local tournaments, working closely with youth academies to implement educational programmes, and upholding its commitment to promoting interest in football.”
BFF surpassed Vietnam and the Northern Mariana Islands to claim the Bronze category award, while Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates received the Silver and Gold awards respectively. The recognition was presented on behalf of the AFC President and accepted by BFF General Secretary Imran Hossain Tushar. BFF President Tabith Awal was also present at the ceremony.
According to AFC data, the federation organised 24 grassroots tournaments between June 2024 and May 2025, up from 13 the previous year. Player participation rose nearly fivefold, exceeding 30,000 participants. The AFC highlighted BFF’s special initiatives, including programmes encouraging women’s football in the hill regions, the Amputee Football Asia Championship, the Senior Football Festival, and the Street Children’s Festival — all of which emphasised education, child protection, and social inclusion.
This marks BFF’s first award in the grassroots category and its first AFC recognition in a decade, following its Aspiring Member Association Award in 2015. The federation was also nominated in two categories this year — the Member Association (Ruby) and the Grassroots Football (Bronze) awards. While Laos won the former, Bangladesh’s grassroots efforts stood out among strong contenders.
Under its new executive committee, BFF has prioritised grassroots football, recently gathering 700 young players at the Shamsul Huda Football Academy in Jashore, a moment showcased during the award presentation. Vice-President and Development Committee Chairman Nasser Shahrear Zahedee has been instrumental in advancing academy and grassroots projects, with Bangladesh’s participation in AFC, SAFF, and various invitational youth tournaments strengthening its development credentials.
The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) was also nominated for a regional association award but missed out, with the ASEAN region claiming the honour.
