Over 60 youth players from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Member Associations from ASEAN, East, Central, and South zones will take part in the e-Goal project to expand the positive impact of the ground-breaking programme across the continent.
Organised by the AFC Dream Asia Foundation and the Aurora for Training and Development, the programme is designed to empower the youth through innovative and educational opportunities, to equip them with the skill sets to lead social change and to strengthen the foundations for them to encourage their peers to live a more purposeful life through football.
Among the youth players selected for the programme are Philippine national team players Cian Gabriel Galsim, Rae Mikaella Tolentino, and Mikaela Jacqueline Villacin. PFF Head of International Relations Maja Paula Año is the focal point between the participants and the organisers during the course.
Galsim was part of the Philippine Under-15 National Team that competed in the AFF U15 Championship and the AFC U16 Championship Qualifiers last year.
“The course will help me become not just a better football player but also a better person,” said Galsim. We expect that we will be better youth leaders and will serve as role models in our respective schools and in our respective clubs.”
Tolentino and Villacin were part of the Philippine Girls Under-16 Team that clinched fourth place in the AFF U15 Girls’ Championship last year.
“I am honored to represent the Philippines and use football to make a difference in my community,” said Tolentino. “I look forward to learning and expanding my understanding of football and its effects over the entire community.”
“I am excited to share my knowledge and skills and also interact with the players and people that I will be attending with,” said Villacin. “I will try to understand and learn as much as I can during the programme so that I can share my learnings to people who are aspiring to play football.”
The three players will be attending several online sessions where they will be provided with expert mentorship in important topics such as Sport for Development, Philanthropy in Football, Health and Well-being, Civic Engagement, and Peer Education.
PFF president Mariano Araneta, Jr. and general secretary Atty. Edwin Gastanes congratulated the three players for their admission to the programme.
“We thank AFC, under the leadership of Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, for reinforcing the trust in the youth through the e-Goal programme,” said Araneta. “The youth of today will be the leaders of tomorrow. We wish them to strive for the best.”
“The e-Goal programme will serve as an eye opener for our delegates on the ever changing development of social responsibility through football,” added Gastanes. “We hope that they take the learnings from this programme and apply them in their respective communities.”
