The Uzbek capital of Tashkent will host the second Festival of Football of the year for under 13 boys from Central Asia, from 13-26 April.

AFC Grassroots & Youth Director John Whittle is travelling to Tashkent this week to assist local organisers in ensuring the event is as successful as the West Asian Festival, which ended earlier this month.

Boys from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan will take part in the Festival, which will also feature education courses for young coaches and referees as well as a workshop for head coaches.

This is the second time Tashkent is hosting the Central Asian festival after successfully staging it last year.

Whittle is expected to hold talks with Uzbekistan Football Federation officials to obtain certain guarantees with regard to visas for participants, transport, security, meals, laundry, medical and other logistical aspects of the Festival.

He will also visit proposed venues to make sure they conform to AFC requirements.

Other Festivals taking place this year are in Iran (South Asia), Malaysia (Asean) and China (East Asia).