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Football for Friendship 2016

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Prior to the UEFA Champions League Final match in Milan, Italy this year, young teams from 32 countries across four continents — Africa, Asia, Europe and South America — took part in the fourth installment of the international children’s Football For Friendship (F4F) program that brings together 12- to 14-year-old players from top international clubs. The teams included an under-15 youth team from Japan representing J.League Division One team F.C. Tokyo, who were participating for the second consecutive year.

The F4F program—which was first held in London in 2013—started as a conference organized by Gazprom and its "Gazprom for Children" initiative. It's aimed at developing youth football and fostering tolerance and respect toward different cultures and ethnicities among children across the world. What began as an international forum day for young footballers to meet and communicate with their peers from other countries, has grown exponentially in just four years. Today it comprises the forum, an international street soccer tournament, the 9 Values Cup award (a trophy voted on by all F4F ambassadors and presented to the professional football club that best espouses the program’s values of friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, tradition and honor) and—to the delight of all—attendance at the UEFA Champions League final after the forum.

The eight young players representing Japan — all boys under the age of 15— were also accompanied by a budding young journalist to report on the forum (also under 15 years old), along with a coach, doctor and a few Japanese sports journalists who also made the trip. They met, competed and made friends with over 300 other participants over the course of the street soccer tournament, friendship activities, forum and attendance at the Champions League final match. They also had the chance to meet UEFA champion footballers like Max Meyer, Leon Goretzka, Domenico Criscito, Michel Salgado and the legendary Franz Beckenbauer — the program’s global ambassador.“When we play football, we learn to trust the team, rely on each other and understand our fellow athletes and rivals. These qualities and skills help us to win on the field and to find a way out of difficult life situations.” —Franz Beckenbauer, Football for Friendship Global Ambassador After traveling over 9,700 kilometers on a direct 12-hour flight, the young squad had just two days worth of activities before turning around and heading home. Their one day on the pitch saw them play to a draw against Kazakstan, lose 1-0 to Turkey and finally play to a 2-1 loss against Serbia—all potent squads.

The end of the tournament saw Slovenia triumph as the eventual winners over Hungary in the street soccer tournament final on the grounds of the ancient Sforza Castle in the center of Milan ahead of the Champions League game.

Apart from the competition, the Japanese players spent time watching players and interacting with other teams from across the world. They were lucky enough to meet a few young people interested in practicing their Japanese — including a young journalist from Turkey who loves Japan, its culture and any chance to practice her Japanese language skills.

Perhaps one of the most eye-opening experiences for the team occurred just prior to their match against Turkey when F4F representatives came by asking if teams could share their football boots. A team from Syria was in the tournament, but it seems their boots didn’t meet pitch regulations. It was explained to the Japanese coach, Makoto Kita, that should the Syrian squad not be able to secure the proper footwear, they would be disqualified. Kita quickly tried to match the shoe sizes needed and found three to four players on the Japanese team who could lend their boots out — until the reps checked the calendar and realized that Japan and Syria, although in different groups, were scheduled to play at the same times that afternoon.

Regardless of the outcome, the F4F program is mostly focused on the forum—the chance for young soccer players from around the word to meet and get to understand those from different cultures—and the promotion of the initiative’s nine core values: friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, tradition and honor.

It's an experience should stay with them for a lifetime—perhaps helping to mold these young Japanese soccer stars of the future as some of them prepare to represent their country on one of the world’s biggest stages—the Olympics in Tokyo.

Watch a video report from Japanese student journalist Lilya Matsumoto here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x5FeLXeN3Q

Get more information on the Gazprom Football for Friendship program here: https://www.gazprom-football.com/en/f4f16/about.htm

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.


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Great Article!

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Soccer [cough]

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