- Takuya Yamazaki (FIFPRO Asia/Oceania) nominated to join the new FIFPRO global board
- Yamazaki nominated during two-day divisional congress hosted by Uzbekistan Footballers Union (UFU) across 12-13 September in Tashkent
- At the 2024 FIFPRO General Assembly in November, FIFPRO members will have to approve candidacies
Takuya Yamazaki has been nominated by Division Asia/Oceania to serve on FIFPRO’s global board from November 2024.
Yamazaki, who has served as the division’s Chair for eight years, was nominated by FIFPRO Asia/Oceania members during its divisional general assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
He will join the new global board alongside nominees from other divisions, subject to member approval at November’s FIFPRO General Assembly in Bali, Indonesia.
In response to his nomination, Yamazaki said: "It is an honour to be nominated by the division for the FIFPRO global board. Our collective ambition is to continue to elevate the work of the players from across Asia and Oceania on a global level and build on the fantastic progress that Izham [Ismail] and Kate [Gill] have achieved on behalf of our division’s members and thousands of players."
New beginnings for Uzbekistan, Asia/Oceania's shared progress
With FIFPRO Asia/Oceania’s general assembly held in Uzbekistan for the first time, representatives of 13 player associations attended, from Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Qatar, Uzbekistan, Thailand, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Saudi Arabia.
The event was a chance to reflect on the Uzbekistan Football Union’s (UFU) progress as a FIFPRO Asia/Oceania candidate member, while also taking steps to build for the future, including progress towards the establishment of a national dispute resolution chamber (NDRC) by the UFU and Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA).
A stakeholder panel involving Kamoliddin Murzoev (UFU President), Diyor Imamkhodjaev (Uzbekistan Professional Football League General Director), Odil Ahmedov (UFA Vice President), and Makhliyo Sarikova (Uzbekistan international footballer) discussed the positive collaboration between UFU and the league, the status of women's football in Uzbekistan and image rights.
Yamazaki said: "Since UFU were established in 2017, they have made significant progress on behalf of professional players in Uzbekistan. Their membership has grown to over 800 professional footballers in seven years, introduced new player health and safety measures, secured payments for Uzbekistan women’s national team players, and built a strong relationship with the country’s federation. The establishment of a dispute resolution chamber will be another milestone in professional football in Uzbekistan."
Asia/Oceania’s general assembly also enabled divisional members to share best practice, with Korea Pro-Footballers Association’s organising case study and Professional Footballers Australia’s player workplace benchmarking project in the spotlight.
The event also focused on Asian considerations in response to recent legal rulings and proceedings globally, while looking ahead to the 2026 AFC Asian Women’s Cup as an opportunity to increase player union influence in the region.
