InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
BUTUAN CITY - Following the successful third leg of the Kasibulan Football Grassroots Festival, the Butuan City Agusan del Norte Football Association (Banfa) is now planning to bring the event to a much bigger stage in a city-wide football tournament slated between late October and early November this year
Five hundred twelve children and sixty teachers from different rural mountain barangays participated in the third leg of the Kasibulan Football Grassroots Festival as Banfa brought the three-day event to Barangay Maguinda which ended August 2.
The football program which aims to train children between 6 to 12 years old was launched in Butuan City last April 29, 2012. Dubbed as the Kasibulan Project, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) initiated the project nationwide in partnership with different football associations aiming to further popularize and make football a mainstream sports nationwide.
“This is the very first time that such football training program is brought to a far-flung rural barangay. Truly this is what grassroots is all about; majority of these children has never experienced or even seen how football is played. We are bringing the experience of the game to the doorsteps of rural kids,” said Butuan City vice Mayor Lawrence Fortun, who is also Banfa chairman.
Fortun expressed gratitude for the success of the first three legs which gained an overall participation of more than 1,500 children.
“This is a follow-through to the series of grassroots development coaching course and festival we held. It's an opportunity for coaches to apply their knowledge and skills and for children to participate in a friendly competition to further encourage their passion for the sport and hone their skills in the process,” said Fortun.
The fourth leg of the program which is set on August 24-26 is expected to draw more participants, and an added set is planned to accommodate another rural barangay training after requests poured in requesting Banfa to hold one in barangay Tungao.
The planned city-wide Grassroots Football Festival will have tournament categories for children aging between 6-8, 9-10, and 11-12, where the organizers are expecting the participation of more than 1,000 players.
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