YKK Asia kids boot camp under way

MANILA, Philippines — Cristiano Ronaldo-wannabes from the underprivileged sector get a taste of learning and playing football the Real Madrid way with the staging of the YKK Asia Group Kids Football Clinic beginning today at McKinley Stadium in Taguig.

A total of 300 kids from the Gawad Kalinga Development Foundation, Childhope Asia Foundation and Punta Fuego Village Foundation attend the two-day sessions to be conducted by coaches from the Real Madrid Foundation Pablo Gomez Revenga, Santiago Sanchez Martin and Hector Vicente. 

The mentors from the winningest club in La Liga and recently crowned UEFA Champions League titlist share footballing tips techniques and basic individuals to the participants, whose ages range from eight to 15.

The clinic comes at an appropriate time as the beautiful game is in the spotlight with Fifa World Cup in Russia ongoing.

“We expect the kids to be more motivated (to learn football and play the game) as it’s the World Cup now,” said Gomez Revenga, Real Madrid Foundation’s Technical Management Clinic and International Technical Schools director.

To kick off the activities, RM coaches shared their world-class training methodologies  and techniques with 30 local coaches in a separate session yesterday.

The Spaniards and their partners from YKK led by president Tadashi Koshio and AVP for marketing Augustin Villarama of YKK Philippines, Inc., and Alson Ng, regional marketing manager of YKK Asia Group and Brand Strategy in YKK Holding Asia Pte. Ltd, were on hand for the press launch, along with Philippine Footbal Federation general secretary Edwin Gastanes.

The YKK AKFC, which is held in Manila for only the second time after the initial staging in 2012, aims to give local kids and coaches “the opportunity to experience world-class football from the celebrated Spanish club.”