Tuesday 29 October 2019, 16:09

Bahrain Football Association completes national training centre with the support of FIFA Forward

  • Four projects successfully completed under the first cycle of the FIFA Forward programme

  • One more infrastructural project consisting in building new BFA Performance Sport Centre

  • "The positive impact of the first cycle projects we jointly developed with FIFA, including the development of a fully equipped national training centre, encourages us to implement new projects with real impact and legacy"

The Bahrain Football Association (BFA) has successfully completed a project involving the construction of new stands for its training centre. This project fully financed through FIFA Forward 1.0 programme includes brand new dressing rooms, offices and other facilities. With this upgraded infrastructure, BFA aspires to increase quality of preparation of national teams of all ages as well as to have sufficient infrastructure for various youth competitions and grassroots.

The period covering 2016-2018 appeared to be crucial for BFA as the member association managed to use almost all its available FIFA Forward funds for the cycle in order to implement crucial projects for football development. Apart from the construction of the stand, these projects included renovation of BFA headquarters and football museum, purchase of vehicles for technical department and scouting and development of IT system. The Dubai FIFA Regional Office representatives visited BFA last 16 -17 October 2019 to evaluate current projects and to discuss possible development.

At the moment, Bahrain ranks 101 in FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, but the country is determined to work harder to take football to a new level.

"We are pleased with our continuous cooperation with FIFA to implement projects through the FIFA Forward Programme which helps us to develop the technical and administrative operations at our member association. The positive impact of the first cycle projects we jointly developed with FIFA, including the development of a fully equipped national training centre, encourages us to implement new projects with real impact and legacy. Currently we are in the process of applying for new project to build BFA Performance Sport Centre.

We appreciate the significant role played by FIFA and the continued support and advice of its regional office in Dubai. This will tremendously help us to reach our main objective, which remains developing Bahrain football in a sustainable manner”. Noted Ebrahim Al Buainain, General Secretary of BFA.

In order to pursue its mandate, BFA has started to build BFA Performance Sport Centre with the use of FIFA Forward 2.0 cycle. According to the plan, the fully new building will include a futsal training field with fans stand, a fully equipped Gymnasium, changing rooms and offices. Part of the meetings was devoted to discuss about the Member Association’s (MA) overall strategy and objectives to raise the level of the beautiful game in the island country of 1.5 million inhabitants.