British Ambassador Asif Ahmad promises support for kids’ football

MANILA, Philippines—These kids would never walk alone.

As the first-ever Ambassadors’ Cup waits for the opening whistle, British Ambassador to the Philippines Asif Ahmad invited his team of youngsters to his official residence in Forbes Park to train in preparation of their big game.

With a group of 23 kids, three of them girls, from Gawad Kalinga Pinagsama training before they take on their field of dreams on Saturday, Ahmad said that he saw some “natural” potential from the young footballers.

“I see that everytime,” the Liverpool FC fan said. “When I first saw Steven Gerrard when he was 14-years-old, I saw something special.”

Going up against teams that other embassies support like Chile, South Africa, Nigeria, Brazil, South Korea, Timor Leste, Mexico, and Argentina, Ahmad’s team were made up of seven to 13-year-old kids and trained under the tutelage of their coach Gerald Mendoza.

Mendoza said that with football now in the kids’ lives, the youngsters have an avenue and discipline that were previously missing.

Ahmad and his first secretary Steph Lysaght took part in the training sessions and scrimmages during the two-hour session.

“The biggest thing that they know our support, we are there for them, we are behind them, we support them,” Ahmad, who played as a defender during his youth, said. “If they succeed we will celebrate with them, if they don’t, we will train with them.”

Ahmad’s team would face-off against the other ambassador’s teams on Saturday at the University of Asia and the Pacific.

With the Ambassador’s Cup just waiting for the opening whistle, Ahmad promised the kids that “they would never walk alone.”

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