AFTER almost two months of traveling around the country, Globe Telecom has finally picked 12 of the best young aspiring football players to represent the Philippines in the prestigious Astro Kem Bola Advanced Training Programme in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from Sept. 13 to 17.
The qualifiers, aged 10-12, include Roniel Vincent Delumpines, a sixth grader from Isabela City, Basilan who even traveled eight hours by boat and 15 hours by land just to reach Davao City where one of the TM Football Para sa Bayan camps of Globe was held.
TM FPSB was tapped by Astro Kasih, the corporate foundation and corporate social responsibility arm of Malaysian media and entertainment powerhouse Astro, to be its partner in discovering talented kids and helping them further harness their craft. This is in line with Globe Telecom’s sports advocacy which aims to uplift the lives of the youth especially those from the marginalized sector and provide them with a platform to showcase their talents.
“The Astro Kem Bola program aims to provide a comprehensive learning and football development experience. Through it, we have seen talented kids grow into well-rounded athletes playing in the Malaysian national youth team on an international platform. We are privileged to be able to play a role in their development and look forward to do the same for the youth of Philippines and other ASEAN countries,” said Datuk David Michael Yap, Vice President – Community Affairs of Astro.
Delumpines is joined by Leoven Jay Gatungay, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental; Lance Lawrence Locsin, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental; Martin Joshua Meriño, Binan, Laguna; and Jared Alexander Peña and Ryan Philip Johansson both from Metro Manila.
For the girls division, the representatives include two from Davao City—Jasmine Casandra Agustin and Isabelle Renee Taojo; three from Metro Manila—Astrid Heiress Ignacio, Stella Maria Divino, and Ysabella Samonte; and Mikaela Jacqueline Villacin from Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.
The children were scouted from some 600 young athletes who participated in the TM football clinics held in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo; Talisay City, Negros Occidental; Davao City; and Metro Manila. They will compete with their counterparts from Singapore and Malaysia to get a chance to fly to Europe for two weeks of all-expense paid professional football training in December this year.
“For four years now, Globe through TM Football Para sa Bayan has been reaching out to kids especially those from the countryside and from the marginalized sector in order to develop their skills and give them the opportunity to secure a good future, Thus, we are thankful to Astro for partnering with us in this undertaking which we believe will help uplift the lives of the youth and bring them closer to their dreams,” said Fernando Esguerra, Globe Director for Citizenship.
The kids were selected not only based on talent but also on other criteria such a teamwork; discipline, behavior and sportsmanship; communication on and off the pitch; positive attitude towards teammates, volunteers, and coaches; ability to listen to instructions; and good personality.