14-year-old BRICS goodwill ambassador to participate in 2019 Football for Friendship

Ananya Kamboj will participate for the third time in the International Children's Social Programme Football for Friendship. The programme is run by Gazprom PJSC, the official partner of the UEFA Champions League, and its final events will take place in Madrid from May 28 to June 2.

The 14-year-old school girl from India has gained wide recognition at the project thanks to her participatory citizenship, journalist professionalism, and diverse range of educational activities in her home country. Ananya Kamboj at the presentation of her book at the 2018 International F4F Forum.

"I have always believed that it is imperative to pay particular attention to both sport and cultural education of children. That is why Nine Values promoted by Football for Friendship programme are so important – they encourage children to develop both on a football field and in life," Ananya notes.

The Nine Values of the F4F programme are friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions, and honour. Every year at the Nine Values School are organized lessons for all the participants of the programme. Many children launch their own social projects when they come back home.

Ananya Kamboj wrote a book, "My Journey from Mohali to St. Petersburg", in which she told about the Nine Values of the programme and her impressions from communicating with peers at the project.

After participating in F4F in 2018, Ananya became a Good Will Ambassador of BRICS countries. She participated in various large projects in India, including Lean India Summit and She's Mercedes. The Young Journalist regularly visits schools in Deli where she tells the students about Football for Friendship and the Nine Values.

In 2019, for the first time in the history of the project, Ananya Kamboj has received the invitation to speak on behalf of all the Young Ambassadors of the world at the 2019 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum at the UN Headquarters.

In May, Ananya will take part in the International Children's Social Programme Football for Friendship for the third time. She will give a speech at the International Football for Friendship Forum on May 30, 2019, on the third day of the final events of the programme in Madrid.