On the sidelines of the recent 47th Asean Summit, FIFA president Gianni Infantino unveiled the concept of a new Asean Cup, a gesture which has received much appreciation from the Asean members and the football fraternity.

This Cup, for which the details have not been finalized yet, will be different from the present Asean Football Championship also known as the ASEAN Cup.

The FIFA President’s initiative is laudable as the Asean nations need more football competitions, better training schemes, administration and organization to improve their quality and standard of soccer.

In fact, soccer standards have come down in Southeast Asia, when compared to Indonesia, Malaysia and Burma’s performances during the 1960s and 70s as was observed in the annual Merdeka Tournaments during that period.

Over the decades, some tournaments have faded into history or have lost their luster and draw fewer participants, the once-popular Merdeka tournament being one of them.

However, if Gianni Infantino’s concern was to raise the quality and standard of football, he should look at the bigger picture that is Asian football.

Asian football has perennially suffered from its poor quality apart from some occasional flashes of brilliance, as can be seen in the past Football World Cups.

About 30 countries in the 47-member AFC are placed above 100 in this year’s FIFA rankings. Malaysia is ranked 118.

What Asia needs to improve is to have more competitions.

The FIFA President should look into holding an Asian Regional Championship.

Being the world’s largest continent, Asia can be conveniently divided into various regions for this championship: West Asia comprising mainly Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria and the Gulf states; South Asia consisting of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh; Central Asia comprising Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia; East Asia consisting of China, Japan, the two Koreas, and Taiwan; and Southeast Asia comprising the 11 Asean members. Australia, too, can be included.

The standard of Asian football is generally poor apart from some countries in West Asia such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as well as Japan and South Korea in East Asia.

The standard of football in South Asia and Southeast Asia is deplorably low, and only more tournaments and better inducements can raise the level of the game.

Central Asian soccer standards too have plummeted with the end of the Soviet era.

This biennial intraregional competition can be named the Asian Regional Tournament with the best two winners from the regions playing to win the Championship.

The tournament can be hosted by any of the AFC members that is willing, and if necessary with a FIFA subsidy to meet the expenses.

Additionally, the Afro-Asian Cup of Nations, which was discontinued in 2007, can be revived with the best two from Africa and Asia vying for the title.

African soccer standards are much higher and Asian countries can benefit from this competition. One of the oil-rich Gulf countries can permanently host this biennial tournament.

FIFA needs to do more to raise the level and standard of soccer in Asian countries with more programs and incentives for youth participation, training and football administration.

Asian nations are expected to progress much socioeconomically in the next few decades, and football as a sport can reap greater popularity and monetary benefits to sustain the growth of the “beautiful game” with FIFA’s involvement and commitment.

(V. Thomas has been regularly contributing to Malaysian newspapers for the last 40 years.)