Young Footballers Support Program

The Fund Forum`s Young Footballers Support Program is aimed at training a new generation of professional footballers in Uzbekistan, providing sponsor support for children`s and youth teams and amateurs across the country, organizing master classes with international football stars and other events as well as providing football attire.

The project was launched in November 2009, when the famous footballer Samuel Eto`o handed sponsor packages to two youth teams of Uzbekistan`s Pakhtakor and Bunyodkor Football Academies. In addition, the Fund Forum and Samuel Eto`o Foundation signed a cooperation memorandum.

In December 2009, one of the world`s best footballers Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Portuguese national team, taught a master class to young footballers in Uzbekistan. The event drew interest not only from football fans, but also from the broad public of Uzbekistan. Tashkent`s JAR stadium, with a seating capacity of 8,000 people, was literally filled to the brim. Tickets to the master class were distributed free of charge and many fans from all over the republic were able to see Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo also signed a cooperation memorandum with the Fund Forum in Tashkent on December 22. The paper is aimed at further cooperation in the support and development of children`s sports. Among the main goals of the memorandum are development of charitable programs and projects to popularize and advance children`s sports, allocation of grants to support young athletes, and providing assistance in young athletes` participation in international competitions.

Under the Young Footballers Support Program, Cristiano Ronaldo and the Chairperson of the Fund Forum`s Board of Trustees, Gulnara Karimova, awarded two youth football teams - Olimpik Football Club of Kashkadarya Region and the team of Youth Sports School №1 of Tashkent Region. Similar support will be given to other football teams in Uzbekistan in the future.