Gazprom’s Football for Friendship international children’s project debuts in India

One young footballer to play in global football event

New Delhi, India: Gazprom, official partner of FIFA and the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, announced the opening of the fifth season of the Football for Friendship (F4F) international children's social project and launched the program in India for the first time. TheeventwillbeheldinSt. Petersburg, Russia, from June 26 to July 3.

The project's geographical scope expanded considerably in 2017, with the number of participating countries doubling from 32to 64. This year, India will make their F4F debut. The project has thus brought together young footballers from four continents: Africa, Eurasia, and the Americas.

Thefifthseasonwillbeheldinanewformat. Instead of representing football clubs from different countries, young players will be divided into eight international Friendship Teams.

The teams’ composition and the playing positions of the participants were determined by a draw procedure. Individual player selection will take place at the Friendship Relay Race. The F4F International Organizing Committee will join efforts with national football federations to select young athletes for the 2017 competition. Eight-player teams will comprise boys and girls aged 12years old, including those with disabilities.

The draw procedure took place via an online conference. Taking part in the ceremony were young football coaches from Friendship Teams: Mikhail Babich(16, Russia), Rene Lampert (15, Slovenia), Stefan Maksimovic(15, Serbia), Felipe Soares (17, Portugal), Charlie Sui (12, China), Elvira Herzog (16, Switzerland), Igor Khritsyuk (14, Ukraine), and Brandon Shabani (15, UK), as well as F4F International Press Center representativeLilia Matsumoto (15, Japan).

“I took part in the 2016 season as a player. I consider myself extremely fortunate, as the project offers new opportunities to all of its young ambassadors. If I was 12, I would do whatever it takes to play the new season and kick the football with other kids!” said Rene Lampert, regular player of the junior team at the Maribor football club.

On April 25, the project will be joined by tens of thousands of children and adults celebrating the International Day of Football and Friendship. Each of them will wear a Friendship Bracelet, the official symbol of F4F, with blue and green threads interwoven to symbolize equality and healthy living.

On July 1, St. Petersburg will host the Gazprom FOOTBALL FOR FRIENDSHIP International Championship, bringing together players of different ethnicities, gendersand physical capabilities.

July 2 will see the Fifth Football for Friendship International Children's Forum, which will allow youngsters to discuss with famous footballers and journalists how to promote the project’s values around the world.

The fifth season of the F4F project will conclude with a visit by the participating children to the final match of the FIFA Confederations Cup2017 at the St. Petersburg Stadium.

As usual, the International Children's Press Center will work throughout the season. Young journalists will cover all key events on equal terms with adult reporters.

“Gazprom pursues global projects that look forward into the future, and the F4F projectis closely aligned with that goal. In a mere four years, the number of participating countries grew eightfold. This year, St. Petersburg will host young footballers from as many as four continents. It means that the values of our social project are meaningful and relevantto children and teenagers all around the globe,” said Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee.

“Gazprom’s initiative will give a voice to children from around the world and we wholeheartedly endorse the goals and key values of the F4F project. We are delighted to support the initiatives of the F4F Organizing Committee until the 2018 FIFA World Cup,” said Philippe Le Floc’h, FIFA’s Chief Commercial Officer.

Background
The Football for Friendship (F4F) international children's social project is implemented by Gazprom within the Gazprom for Children program. The project is aimed at developing youth football and fostering tolerance and respect toward different cultures and ethnicities among children from across the world. The key values supported and promoted by the project's participants include friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions, and honor.

The annual Football for Friendship International Children's Forum is the project’s most important event, bringing together young footballers from different countries who discuss worldwide promotion of the key values with media professionals and famous football players.

The F4F project has a special prize: the Nine Values Cup is a unique trophy awarded annually to a professional football club for the implementation of social initiatives based on the project’s values. The winner is chosen by young F4F ambassadors through a vote held in all countries participating in the project.

Thousands of participants join F4F every year. Since its inception, the project's geographical scope expanded considerably from 8 countries in 2013 to 64 in 2017. Hundreds of young athletes become ambassadors for the F4F movement and its values in their respective countries. TheFriendship Bracelet, the official symbol of F4F, is worn by over 400,000 people across the world, including children, adults, well-known athletes and journalists, performers, political figures, and heads of state.

In 2017, the project’s participating countries are as follows: Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, Macedonia, Mexico, Mozambique, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uruguay, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

Gazprom is a global energy company focused on geological exploration, production, transportation, storage, processing and sales of gas (including as NGV fuel), gas condensate and oil, as well as generation and distribution of heat and electric power. The Company operates in Russia, Africa, Middle East, Europe, and Latin America, as well as Central, South and Southeast Asia.

Gazprom is the world's largest company in terms of natural gas reserves and production output, with gas delivered to consumers in Russia and more than 30 other countries. The Company is among Russia's four biggest oil producers and has the largest installed capacity for thermal energy in the country. Gazprom also holds the leading position in the global thermal energy market.

In addition to pursuing an active business development strategy, Gazprom pays great attention to social projects. The Company supports numerous sports organizations and events on a national and international scale.