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Football for friendship team

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Moscow, Russia
THE Football for Friendship (F4F) programme held in Moscow, Russia, ahead of the ongoing Fifa World Cup provided key lessons for new participants that included Zimbabwe.

F4F is an international children’s social programme supported by Gazprom company since 2013 and includes a number of sports, educational and cultural events held around the world.

From its inception to 2017, the programme increased eight times to 64 countries and this year, F4F made a record when young boys and girls from 211 countries gathered together to play football and promote the programme’s Nine Values to the world.

Those values are friendship, equality, peace, victory, health, devotion, traditions, fairness and honour.

However, what was critical, particularly in terms of football, was the need to apply proper developmental programmes for young participants, which would be critical to the development of the game, especially in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe was represented by two youngsters, Allan Kapiri from Harare and Awakhiwe Ncube from Bulawayo.

Key to note was that 32 teams were grouped on one normal football field after it was divided into eight small fields that allowed the youngsters, all aged below 12 years, to play the game on the small sized fields that suited their frames.

This is contrary to what happens in Zimbabwe where kids as young as 12 years are subjected to playing in an adult sized pitch, hindering their development.

Some of the youngsters seemed very familiar with the pitch size, an indication that their countries had been applying the same set up, but it was clearly a new thing for the Zimbabwean delegation and Zifa technical director Wilson Mutekede, who together with the association’s communications manager Xolisani Gwesela accompanied the youngsters.

Mutekede said it was paramount that Zimbabwe implements this programme.

He said the concept could be introduced in Zimbabwe by having provincial teams from the country’s 10 provinces.

Mutekede said by demarcating the pitch to fit the young players’ size, it helps them fully appreciate the game and also enjoy it.

He said grassroots development can only succeed if proper technical and tactical knowledge is taught to youngsters and believes that using the F4F programme concept would help the Zimbabwe game develop.

The F4F programme comprises several global events, which include open draw, international football for friendship children’s forum, international day of football and friendship, football for friendship world championship, international friendship camp, nine values school and numerous local sports and public events in participating countries.

“We strongly believe that children around the world can be united, regardless of their origin, gender, position in society and physical possibilities. We desire to foster open mindedness and respect towards other cultures and nations, promote friendship among children from different countries, develop children’s football and popularise youth sports and healthy lifestyle.”

“We proudly collect unique biographies of our young participants, sharing their stories and roads after finishing the F4F programme, telling the world about their success in life,” say the programme organisers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said what was more important about the event was that it makes a present of the joy of communication and the brightest, unforgettable emotions to the children.

“I strongly believe that such large scale initiatives as F4F carry out an important mission.”

“They support youth sports, promote values of a healthy lifestyle, teach children to respect representatives of different nationalities and cultures,” President Putin said.