Sama-Sama beach soccer up in Boracay

MANILA, Philippines - A total of 16 teams, led by the highly touted Futkaleros United of Tondo, will see action in a beach soccer tournament in the paradise island of Boracay on May 8-11, an event aimed to provide equal opportunities and develop the younger generation through “The Beautiful Game.”

Dubbed the Sama-Same Games, the four-day event is supported by DHL, the world’s leading logistics company, and will enable the participants, most of them from underprivileged communities, the chance to play and interact “in an environment where everybody’s equal.”

There won’t be any cash prizes but Futkal founder Peter Amores believes the opportunity to play on the powdery sands of Boracay and showcase their talents against top teams from other parts of the country while uniting different groups of people will be more than enough for the participants.

“They will definitely enjoy in Boracay. They will get to play and interact in an environment where they will not be judged and everybody’s equal. For them, that’s already a life-changing (experience). They don’t usually get that so we want to expose them to different provinces,” said Amores, who was joined in a press launch last Tuesday at the Manila Peninsula by event co-founder Marko Kasic, DHL Philippines country manager Yati Abdullah, and Puma representative Geena Muares.

“We want kids to work hard whether in playing football, in their studies or in line. We invite teams that value camaraderie and fair play,” said Kasic, who co-founded the event, now on its third edition, with the Tondo-based Futkal Inc.

The field, which includes six girls teams, will be divided into four groups and will vie for two trophies – the Sama-Sama Cup and the Barkadahan Shield.

“This is going to be a fun-filled experience for everyone who will be taking part,” said Kasic. “Beach football is more on the technical aspect, unlike the traditional game. It’s a lot more fun. You can expect passive defending and it doesn’t require too much training.”

“DHL is proud to be supporting this year’s Sama-Sama Games. With our Group-wide GoTeach program, we have made it our responsibility to help improve educational opportunity and employability of young people, especially those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Through our support of Sama-Sama Games, we hope to empower and inspire our youths to pursue their dreams and strengthen the care and share spirit among our employees,” said Abdullah.