By NAN Sports Editor
News Americas, MOSCOW, Russia, Fri. May 14, 2021: A Caribbean teen has been chosen as just one of four youth ambassadors of this year’s Football for Friendship eWorld Championship (eF4F).
Sheqayli Ascencion from Aruba joins Ananya Kamboj from India, Yusuf Moazzam from Pakistan and Alinur Gabidenuiy from Kazakhstan as the youth ambassadors who recently drew the 32 International Teams of Friendship.
The teams were organised into a total of eight groups, with each group consisting of four teams, which have been named after endangered species to draw attention to the problem of animal extinction.
Youth players from 211 countries will compete for the eF4F Championship title from 27th to 29th May.
“It is a true honor for me to be able to be a part of the Football for Friendship program,” Ascencion, 14, told News Americas. “I am forever grateful for everything, that this experience has given me. I am very happy with the last year event and this season opening is also very promising.
The Open Draw was held in an online ceremony on 25th April, the International Day of Football and Friendship.
The eF4F is held on the multiplayer simulator Football for Friendship World (F4F World), which was specially developed for F4F, but available for free on MS Windows, Apple macOS, Android, iOS. Each team consists of six players, and a match runs for two halves of 3.5 minutes each. Football academies all over the world can nominate boys and girls aged 12 to 14 as players up to 1st May.
The preliminary rounds of the eF4F 2021 tournament will take place on 27th and 28th May. The final will be played on 29th May. The national F4F Ambassadors will meet for the National Ambassadors Forum in Istanbul on 29th May on the occasion of the UEFA Champions League final. At the Forum, they will discuss the development of children’s football.
Football for Friendship aims to achieve its third GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM title this year as well. The programme already has two GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM title was achieved for the most nationalities in a football training session and the most users in a video football hangout.
About the programme:
The International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship has been run by Gazprom since 2013. Over the previous eight seasons, the programme has brought together over 15,000 participants from 211 countries and regions and over 6,000,000 supporters.
Young Players and Young Journalists are the participants in the programme – boys and girls aged 12 including children with disabilities. Young Players represent different countries and cultures united in the mixed teams of the Football for Friendship World Championship. They show that nationality, gender, and physical abilities aren’t a barrier to becoming a team. Young Journalists cover the events of the programme in the International Children’s Press Center. All participants become Young Ambassadors of the programme and continue to share their Football for Friendship experience and promote universal human values: friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions, and honour.
In 2020, Football for Friendship was held online. A special digital platform connected over 10,000 players of all ages. It has become the home for international children’s competitions and a playground where anyone can train, join in the international mixed teams and play their favourite game in the Football for Friendship format without leaving the comfort of their home.
