Cebu Football - 120 kids join free football clinic

By Edri K. Aznar

FILIPINO and British volunteers and a few members of the RP National Football Men’s squad held a free football clinic at the University of San Carlos Montessori football grounds yesterday.

More than 100 children joined the workout headed by team captain Ali Borromeo and 18 volunteers of Global Xchange (GX) program, a partnership of the British Council and VSO Bahaginan.

The one-day football clinic is part of GX’s support for “1GOAL :Education for All,” which was launched in line with the Fifa 2010 World Cup.

The objective of “1GOAL :Education for All” is to collect signatures from all over the world and to call on world leaders to fund the education of 72 million underprivileged children worldwide.

“We are calling on world leaders to use money wisely rather than use it on nuclear weapons,” GX British volunteer Bridget Hutchings told Sun.Star Cebu.

The group has gathered 14,963,617 signatures since its website—www.join1goal.org—was launched.

Among the renowned footballers who have joined the cause are Brazilian legend Pele, French legend Zinedine Zidane, Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo and Spanish ace striker David Villa.

“We are here to support and to let the people know that the Men’s national team our aware of its social responsibility outside of football,” said Dan Palami, the financier of the RP National Men’s team.

Aside from Borromeo, other RP team members present in the free football clinic were midfielder Emelio Caligdong, goalkeeper Eduard Sacapaño and forwards Yanti Bersales and Ian Araneta.

“We had at least 120 participants, which is more than what we expected,” said Filipino volunteer Karl Molina, who expected the event to be graced by only 50 footballers.

The GX volunteers along with a few Hiroshi members played against the RP national squad and its coaching staff in a friendly seven-a-side match to end the successful day.

Sun Star Cebu