Young athlete and journalist from Bhutan in F4F
Rigzin Tenzin and Kinley Yangzom, 12-year old football enthusiasts from Bhutan, have been selected as country’s representatives at the global Football for Friendship (F4F) social programme and will attend the events in World Cup in Russia later this year.
The F4F programme, supported by Gazprom and FIFA aims at developing youth football and a healthy lifestyle as well as promoting tolerance, open-mindedness and respect of different cultures and nationalities between children from across the globe. Bhutan joins the programme for the first time and will participate alongside 210 other countries and regions.
Rigzin will join Young footballers from around the world in Moscow in June 2018. The children will be a part of the 32 International Teams of Friendship and play against each other in the Gazprom F4F International Championship. The friendly tournament aims to bring together children from around the world and celebrate the unifying spirit of football.
Kinley will act as the young journalist and report on all the local and global activities of the F4F programme as part of the International Children’s Press Center. She will also spread awareness on the Nine Values (friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions and honour) of the F4F programme.
Rigzin and Kinley will also participate in the Sixth Football for Friendship International Children’s Forum in Russia, which will allow youngsters to meet their peers from other countries, share their experiences, and discuss with famous footballers and journalists on how to promote key values of the F4F Programme around the world
Hailing from Gelephu, Rigzin started playing football at the age of 8. A football enthusiast, he currently plays for the Bhutan National Under 13 Football Team, and dreams to play for the senior team in near future. This talented, young footballer believes it is important to promote friendship, equality and peace because he believes that we need each of these three things to brighten our world.
A student of Lobesa Lower Secondary School in Punakha District, Kinley is a football enthusiast and an avid reader. A firm believer in the power of friendship, she believes that everyone should help one another and respect each other regardless of one’s ethnicity, gender, religion and status.
Speaking on the selection of the young ambassadors by the Bhutan Football Federation, President Ugen Tsechup, said, “The selection of the young ambassadors from Bhutan is an extension of our support to this unique global initiative. The programme is a wonderful opportunity for the ambassadors to build ties of friendship among children from around the world and foster peace and harmony through the beautiful game of football. We wish our young ambassadors all the best for the programme and look forward to their contribution in promoting the key values of the programme, in Russia, as well as in Bhutan”
The season of the F4F programme will conclude with a visit by the participating children to the opening ceremony and the first match of the FIFA World Cup 2018