MANILA, Philippines - The FIFA-backed Kasibulan Grassroots Football program gets going Sept. 19 with more than 500 kids trooping to the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynilad field.
As many as 60 football coaches from the different elementary schools from Manila, Pasay, Makati, San Juan and Quezon City will be around to run the three-day event organized by the National Capital Region Football Association headed by Atty. Roland Tulay.
The event, backed by Pagcor and Vitamilk Champ, is free as part of the sport’s grassroots program aimed at discovering talents for the 2019 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.
“We take pride in responding to this call for a partnership in developing football further in the country, particularly for kids,” said Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, who will be the special guest at the close of the football festival.
Tulay, also the secretary-general of the Philippine Football Federation, cited the City of Manila and the Department of Education during yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate.
The Gawad Kalinga is also part of the event. Also helping out are Summit Natural Drinking Water and 100Plus Isotonic sports drink.
“With the present popularity of football in the country this program will definitely help sustain its development,” added Tulay in the forum sponsored by Pagcor and Smart.
Joining Tulay in the sports forum were Faline Sano of Vitamilk, Kevin Goco of Gawad Kalinga, Dr. Cristina Reyes of DepEd Manila, city administrator Jay Marzan and Rico Acuna of Pagcor.
The three-day festival will be highlighted by a seminar for coaches, public school teachers and barangay leaders as well as assessment and training for the kids aged 9 to 12 years.
Registration is still on, according to PFF grassroots development officer Myk Agbayani who can be reached at 0917-5417310 or through DepEd’s Joel Dionisio at 0927-9153510.