One of the 23 participants in the course, Feruza Zairova, has taken the very first step towards realising her dream to be a coach.

She said: "I am very pleased to be among those who will qualify for the ‘C’ coaching certificate. I think that during the workshop I will be able to get the maximum knowledge that will help me in the coaching arena.

“Now I am still a player, but in time I will be a trainer and teach children. This is what I like to do,” said Zairova.

Another participant, Uzbek Konstantin Khromov, also has high expectations from the workshop.

"I think from this project I will be able to get good and most importantly professional coaching education, which will help me become a coaching specialist,” said Khromov.

The course marked the beginning of the Festival of Football with the participation of representatives from Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and hosts Uzbekistan.

The Festivals are an important part of AFC’s overall development programme and provides early teens with the chance to compete against their peers at the national level in a friendly atmosphere.

The Festivals are less about competition and more about providing an arena for talented juniors from their respective regions to play against each other and forge bonds of friendship.