NMIFA hosts key EAFF meetings

East Asian Football Federation president Du Zhaocai, sixth left, joins, from left, EAFF CFO Hiroyuki Hamaguchi, Chinese-Taipei Football Association’s Chris Wang, Korean Football Association president Chung Mong-gyu, Guam Football Association president Valentino San Gil, EAFF vice president Hanjin Chun, NMIFA president Jerry Tan, EAFF vice president Kozho Tashima, Mongolian Football Federation president Ganbaatar Amgalanbaatar, and EAFF general secretary Roger Luo Zhao pose for a group photo at the conclusion of the 68th EAFF Executive Committee Meeting held last Friday at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

The Northern Marianas Islands Football Association hosted key East Asian Football Federation meetings where the EAFF approved administrative proposals and discussed competition matters.

At the 68th EAFF Executive Committee Meeting held last Nov. 11 at the Azucena Room of the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, the EAFF Executive Committee, led by EAFF president Du Zhaocai, announced that during the 18th Competitions Committee Meeting held last Nov.
10, members discussed recommendations about future E-1 Football Championship and youth tournaments. 

On the administrative side, the EAFF Executive Committee nominated Guam Football Association president Valentino San Gil as the EAFF’s candidate to the Asian Football Confederation Executive Committee. Also getting a nod from the EAFF Executive Committee was Chinese Football Association’s Jin Chenglong, who will sit on the Finance Committee as a member. The 32nd EAFF Finance Committee Meeting was also held last Nov. 10 and was followed by the 1st EAFF Marketing Committee on the same day.

Before the important announcements at the 68th EAFF Executive Committee Meeting, Du welcomed the member association representatives attending the meeting virtually and in person and thanked the NMIFA for hosting the executive committee and standing committee meetings. The EAFF president then encouraged the MAs to give more inputs on how to increase the number of competitions in the region and provide more development programs to MAs.

Du was joined in the 68th EAFF Executive Committee Meeting by EAFF vice president Kozho Tashima (Japan Football Association) and EAFF vice president Hanjin Chun (Korea Football Association), EAFF general secretary Roger Lu Zhao and EAFF Committee members Chris Wang (Chinese-Taipei), San Gil, Ganbaatar Amgalanbaatar (Mongolia), and NMIFA president Jerry Tan. EAFF vice president Eric Fok of Hong Kong and Chang Keng Hou of Macau attended the 68th EAFF Executive Committee Meeting virtually. KFA president Chung Myong-gyu, EAFF CFO Hiroyuki Hamaguchi, and Guam Football Association Executive Committee officers and members were also present at the meeting hosted on Saipan.

Tan thanked the EAFF Executive Committee for holding their meetings in the NMI and for the EAFF’s continued support to the NMIFA. It’s the NMIFA’s first time to host the EAFF Executive Committee. Tan added that the timing of the EAFF delegation’s visit could not have been more perfect, as the NMIFA is celebrating another milestone this year with the completion of its second regulation-sized pitch at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (PR)