By Jerome Lagunzad
A pair of young Filipino football enthusiasts, footballer AJ Boy Victoriano and Matteo De Venecia, both 12 years old, have earned the nod to represent the country in the Football for Friendship social program in Moscow, Russia this June.
Victoriano will join his fellow promising footballers who will comprise the 32 international teams of friendship and will take center stage in the Gazprom Football for Friendship International Championship, a tournament which celebrates the unifying spirit of football.
Meanwhile, De Venecia will act as a young journalist, reporting on all the local and global activities of the F4F program as part of the International Children’s Press Center. He will also spread awareness on the Nine Values (friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions and honour) of the F4F programme.
Both Victoriano and De Venecia will also participate in the Football for Friendship International Children’s Forum where they will get a chance to meet their peers from other countries, share their experiences, and discuss with famous footballers and journalists on how to promote key values of the F4F program around the world.
“The selection of the young ambassadors from Philippines is an extension of our support to this unique global initiative. The program is a wonderful opportunity for the ambassadors to build ties of friendship among children from around the world and foster peace and harmony through the beautiful game of football,” said Team Socceroo Football Club managing director Michael Reyes.
“We wish our young ambassadors all the best for the programme and look forward to their contribution in promoting the key values of the programme, in Russia, as well as in Philippines”
