Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Tubod: Grassroots received a boost in the Philippines as 33 coaches finished a Grassroots Development Officer Workshop held from 1 to 6 April in the capital city of Lanao del Norte province.
The event was the second such a course organised by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) in cooperation with FIFA and was a continuing programme for coaches to enhance the PFF Kasibulan: Grassroots Football Development Program that they had launched.
The course was headed by PFF Technical Director Jose Ariston P. Caslib and PFF National Grassroots Development Officer Aquilino P. Pastoral III.
The coaches attending the course represented the provincial football associations nationwide.
The workshop was hosted by Iligan City-Lanao del Norte Football Association (ILNOFA) through its President Abdul Harris U. Ali, and through the generosity of Lanao del Norte Governor Mohammad Kahlid Q. Dimaporo.
The PFF relaunched its grassroots development programme called Kasibulan in 2012 with the philosophy of developing football in every environment in the ASEAN nation for girls and boys between six and 12 years old and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to play the beautiful game and have fun.
The PFF Kasibulan programme is also supported by the Department of Education, Asian Football Development Project, Japan Football Association, the British Council and several corporations.
The PFF along with other AFC Member Associations are encouragingly taking their own grassroots initiatives spurred by the AFC's Grassroots Year which was observed in 2013.
The AFC's focus on grassroots last year encouraged its Member Associations to organise their own activities to promote and emphasise that football is accessible and socially beneficial to everyone and that it provides a strong foundation that will allow children to someday progress to the elite level if they choose to do so.
Photo: PFF