Under-privileged kids to get a Spanish football experience

KARACHI: It will be a chance of a lifetime. A total of 280 under-privileged children from various localities of the city will train with Real Madrid coaches over the forthcoming weekend.

This unique initiative has been brought to Pakistan by YKK Holding Asia in partnership with Real Madrid.Guillermo Zaragoza, Javier Torres and Daniel Rotella are the three coaches from Real Madrid, who will conduct the clinics at the Karachi United Stadium on Saturday and Sunday. They will also supervise a clinic for 35 local coaches on Friday.

YHA have chosen to continue their collaboration with the Real Madrid Foundation (RMF) for the 12th edition of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. The aim of this programme is to support the healthy growth of children through football clinics. This is the first time the event will be held in Pakistan.

The event, YKK Asia Group Kids Football Clinic (AKFC), brings qualified coaches from Real Madrid Foundation to Karachi to share footballing tips, techniques and basic fundamentals to underprivileged children from four different NGOs over two days of fun and interactive training sessions. The RMF coaches will also demonstrate and share their world-class training methodologies and training techniques with local coaches.

YKK has taken much thought and care in providing a special opportunity to these underprivileged children whereby they get to rub shoulders with the most multi-titled La Liga team in history; with 33 Championship titles to their club’s name. Karachi will be the second and final of its edition for the year 2018, with Manila having been completed in June 2018 where YKK once again gave local kids and coaches the opportunity to experience world-class football from these invited international coaches.

Kosuke Miimi, YHA’s President, told reporters at a press conference on Thursday that football was a great tool for social service.

“AKFC is an integral programme that not only values children, but the community as well. This event gives opportunities to those who normally have lesser chances at sports and brings the community together to celebrate the love of football. We believe that football is a common language that everyone can enjoy regardless of culture, nationality or religion,” he said.

“We have successfully partnered with YHA since 2012 and have had incredible and positive experiences from the Asian countries where the events have been held. Watching the local coaches and children engage and participate in a sport which knows no language or social barriers is the ultimate reward,” notes Guillermo Zaragoza, Technical Coach for Real Madrid Foundation’s Clinics.

The clinics draw on YKK’s corporate philosophy of the “Cycle of Goodness”, which states that “No one prospers without rendering benefit to others.” This same philosophy is the guiding mantra behind the clinics’ success and is its main driving factor to benefit the local community at large.

Each participant in the clinic receives a full set of YKK/Real Madrid Foundation football jersey kit which includes football boots, a cap, socks, and a certificate of participation. Other sporting equipment such as footballs, sports bibs and training cones will also be provided by YKK over the three-day event. YKK will donate all footballs and training equipment’s after the event to the invited NGO.

The four NGOs whose kids will participate in the clinics are Baloch Star Korangi, Mubarak Village, The Citizens Foundation (TCF) and Initiator Human Development Foundation(IHDF). A total of 35 girls from IHDF will also participate in the clinics.