Ronaldo to visit Tashkent

December 16, 2009

World-famous footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is coming to Uzbekistan to participate in the Fund Forum`s new project, Young Footballers Support Program. On December 22, Cristiano Ronaldo will give a master class in Tashkent`s Jar Sporting Complex with the assistance of Uzbekistan`s Fund for the Development of Children`s Sports.

The Program to support young footballers is aimed at lending support to children`s and youth football teams and football amateurs across the country, organizing master classes with prominent international footballers and other similar events. The ultimate goal of the project is to raise a new generation of outstanding footballers in Uzbekistan.

The project was launched in November this year when Samuel Eto`o, a world-famous footballer, handed sponsor packages to the players of two youth teams of Uzbekistan`s Pakhtakor and Bunyodkor football academies. During his visit, the Fund Forum and Samuel Eto`o Foundation signed a cooperation memorandum.

Cristiano Ronaldo`s upcoming visit will be a logical continuation of the newly launched project and testifies that the Fund Forum`s initiative has resonated internationally and drawn the support of celebrated footballers. Ronaldo is also planning to sign a cooperation memorandum with the Fund Forum.

The master class to be taught by Ronaldo will be attended by two youth football teams of Bunyodkor academy. As many as 8,000 people may witness the grand event. Invitations to the master class are distributed free of charge among the trainees of sports academies, specialised schools, children`s sport clubs, orphanages as well as journalists and football fans.

Along with projects in culture, art, science and education, the Fund Forum has also been paying attention to sports. In 2005, the Fund Forum set up Forum Junior Sport children`s complex where around 200 young talented athletes are being trained in gymnastics and woo-shoo under the guidance of Uzbekistan`s leading coaches. In 2008, another sporting complex, Champions Forum, was established with the goal of training young talented athletes for participation in international judo, boxing, wrestling and other sport competitions. The trainees of these sport clubs have won impressive awards at international level. Under its Sport Grants Program, the Fund Forum has been providing financial and material support for young athletes in all regions of the country.

About Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo, born February 5, 1985, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger for Spanish club Real Madrid and serves as captain of the Portuguese national team. Ronaldo currently holds the distinction of being the most expensive player in football history after having transferred to Real Madrid in a deal worth US$132 million. His contract with Real Madrid is believed to have made him the highest-paid football player in the world. In 2008, Ronaldo won his first UEFA Champions League title, and was named player of the tournament. He was also named the FIFPro World Player of the Year and the FIFA World Player of the Year.