ABOUT 600 young booters will gather at the Sisters of Mary School Girlstown in the city of Talisay, Cebu, on December 9 for a futsal tournament which will serve as the culmination of the Generation Amazing National Festival/Sama-Sama Games 2018.
The sports and education festival, which will kick off on December 6 with a two-day educational and training seminar for 24 young leaders from underserved communities in Manila, Davao and Tacloban, will advocate for greater inclusivity and opportunity for all through play.
These young leaders will then join the 72-team futsal tournament which will have nine different categories from Under 7’s to Under 18’s with over 250 female players taking part as a means to promote gender equality and increase community participation.
Unlike traditional football tournaments, the Generation Amazing Festival/Sama-Sama Games promotes equal opportunity through harmony, dignity and equality by having 36 trophies up for grabs for the 72 teams joining – increasing participation and opportunity for all players, regardless of skill.
Thus, the futsal tournament will follow the plate final format, which means that teams who end up in the lower ranks will not go home empty handed as they will have a bracket of their own, wherein they will also hold their own semifinals and finals.
Aside from free registration, teams will also get jerseys and tokens.
The festival is powered by Generation Amazing, a football-focused corporate social development programme of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Qatar’s delivery and legacy authority for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
It is organized and hosted by FundLife, a locally based organization founded after Typhoon Yolanda, and its partner here in Cebu, the Giuseppe Football Club.
The tournament carries the theme “We are all ONE” – using sport as a level playing field to bring together youth from both the underserved and the more advantageous communities, uniting them through dignity and equality.
“Sport and football in particular, is incredibly powerful at bringing polarised youth together and empowering them to dream big.
We’re excited about bringing this festival to the province of Cebu, where educational access can lead to legitimate employment opportunities for so many young people,” Marko Kasic, FundLife Founder and managing director said.
To be held in simultaneous with the festival is the launching of the Community Football Girls League to promote greater access to sport and education for girls living in at-risk communities.