Surya, Rudresh selected for Football For Friendship programme

Twelve-year-old football enthusiasts Surya Varikuti and Rudresh Gaudnour have been selected as Indias representatives at the sixth edition of the global Football For Friendship (F4F) social programme in June, it was announced on Friday.

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 for different cultures and nationalities between children from across the globe.

This year it has expanded to 211 countries and regions. This is the second time that India will participate in the programme.

Surya will join young footballers from around the world in Moscow in June 2018. He will be a part of the 32 international teams of Friendship and that will play against each other in the Gazprom Football For Friendship International Championship.

Rudresh will act as a young journalist and report on all the local and global activities of the F4F programme as part of the International Children's Press Center. He will also spread awareness on the nine values (friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions and honour) of the F4F programme.

Surya and Rudresh will participate in the Football for Friendship International Children's Forum in Russia, where the youngsters will get a chance 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.

The selection of Surya was done by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) by selecting the best defender, fitting the criteria, from a team that conceded the least number of goals.

--IANS

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