Tabith pushes for Bangladesh's continued ASEAN Cup participation

Bangladesh Football Federation president Tabith Awal expressed interest to see Bangladesh’s continued participation in the FIFA ASEAN Cup, saying the federation’s strong partnership with FIFA can play an important role in developing football in the country.

Tabith made the remarks after holding discussions with FIFA president Gianni Infantino on the sidelines of the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup in Jakarta, where Bangladesh competed against some of the region’s leading teams.

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The meeting covered a range of development issues, including men’s and women’s football, youth football, the Nations League and FIFA Series. They also discussed the possibility of expanding future FIFA-sponsored competitions to involve more Asian nations.

Tabith said Bangladesh was interested in continuing its participation in the FIFA ASEAN Cup and expressed hope that the tournament could provide further opportunities for the national team to compete against stronger opposition.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Tabith also praised Infantino’s leadership and his commitment to attending major football events.

“We were extremely happy to know that our President, the current President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, was going to be joining at the final’s festivities. This is a testament to the kind of leader he is, because I’ve been to many such tournaments and finals where I’ve seen President Infantino appear there himself, before and after the big matches,” he said.

Tabith described the relationship between the BFF and FIFA as strong and friendly, highlighting FIFA’s support for several development projects in Bangladesh.

“I think that the current structure between the Bangladesh Football Federation and FIFA is extremely strong, extremely friendly and a very, very strong partnership,” he said.

He pointed to the FIFA Arena Programme and FIFA Forward Programme, as well as coaching and referee courses, as examples of how Bangladesh has benefited from its cooperation with the world governing body.

“We have used a lot of FIFA’s good projects, whether it be the FIFA Arena Programme, whether it be the FIFA Forward Programme, whether it be some coaching and referee courses, to really, truly develop a football culture in Bangladesh,” Tabith said.