Young Indian players performed impressively at the Fifth Season of the Football for Friendship 2017 Programme that concluded successfully in St. Petersburg. The programme brought together young football players and journalists aged 12 years from 64 countries. India joined the programme for the first time and was represented by Sujal Kahar and Ananya Kamboj who were selected as the young footballer and young journalist respectively.
Sujal, a goal-keeper from Mumbai, was shortlisted as the F4F Young Ambassador from over 2500 kids by Just For Kicks, a school intervention programme. He played in the Yellow Team of Friendship, which was just a game shy of reaching the finals, losing 3-4 to the eventual winners the Orange team. "I am glad I got to be a part of the programme and had the chance to make new friends from different countries. I enjoyed playing the championship and saved a lot of shots with my new goalkeeper gloves," said Sujal
It was no different for Ananya Kamboj, who was part of the young journalist's team, which covered all key events. The eighth standard student from Vivek High School, Mohali was shortlisted as the F4F Young Journalist from India following a writing contest conducted by Mission XI Million, a programme introduced by the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017. In St. Petersburg, Ananya was one of the winners of the "Friendship Is" contest.
The F4F program consisted of a three-day training camp held for young footballers. The camp was guided by young coaches and famous football players. The training camp was followed by the final championship that was held on 1st July 2017. The programme ended with the International Children's Forum where young journalists covered the program events in their countries by preparing the news and materials for the leading international sports mass media.
The event was attended by more than 1,000 guests from 64 countries all over the world. Young participants of different genders, ethnic origins and physical capacities, journalists representing top international mass media, football stars, Olympic and Paralympic Champions, FIFA Legends, FIFA top management, the Russian Olympic Committee and international children's charity funds, and the heads of football federations took part.