Asian Cup 2015
The 17th edition of the Asia Cup Football Tournament started on Friday with the match between hosts Australia and Kuwait in Melbourne. Sixteen national teams divided into four groups of four are in the race, but there is no representative from the South Asia and the South East Asia although the number of AFC members from these two regions is 18 and have highest population.
It is because the teams from these two regions being relatively weaker, they cannot race with their stronger rivals from the East and the West Asia, and are, therefore, eliminated in the qualifying rounds.
The AFC can ensure at least one team from each of the South and the South East Asia by introducing quota system. For this, the Constitution of AFC should be amended in the greater interest of Asian football. The eight nations of the South Asia will fight among themselves on the double-leg league system. Similarly the 10 nations of the South East Asia will follow the same system to select their lone representative. If it is done, the people, the players and the federations of these two regions will be encouraged and the standard of soccer will improve.
In the underway Asia Cup, West Asia has 11 representatives namely Lebanon, Palestine, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Iran, UAE, Qatar and Jordan; East Asia has four namely China, Japan, North Korea and South Korea while Central Asia has one say, Uzbekistan.
We are confident if the 18 soccer federations of the 18 countries work hard and produce their arguments, AFC will be convinced to amend the Constitution soon to be effective from 2018.
Abdullah Akber
Dhaka
