Deshawn Richardson (left) and Ryan Ramlall (right) will be attending to the World Cup 2018 in Russia as part of 'Gazprom Football For Friendship', an international children’s social programme supported by Soccer’s World Governing Body, FIFA and UEFA. Photo: BVIFA

The participants will be split into teams and organized using the “football for friendship” principle – athletes of different nationalities, different genders and different physical abilities will play in one team. Each team will be trained by young coaches from different countries and more than 5000 media from around the world will cover the programme events, as well as the F4F International Children’s Press Center, consisting of young 12-year-old journalists from 211 countries and regions.

As an ecological initiative of Football for Friendship, all the 32 International Friendship Teams will be named after endangered animals of all the continents of the world.

Richardson from Virgin Gorda will be going as a Player, while Ramlall also from VG and attending the Begrado Flax Educational Centre decided to say yes to this opportunity to represent the VI as a young journalist because “I love sports and I love writing a combination of which makes me a great junior reporter and I am thankful that I am given this rare and unique opportunity to help promote football and important human values such as: friendship, equality and fairness. Most importantly, this opportune global event enhances a critical focus: Friendship that is, in my opinion, would and should help to improve our world, making it a better place through the Football for Friendship Programme.”

The event culminates with the Football for Friendship World Championship on June 12, 2018, and the next day the young ambassadors will meet at the most important event, the Football for Friendship International Children’s Forum, where they will discuss ways of promoting the programme’s key values across the globe.

During their time at the F4F, young players under the guidance of young coaches and under the supervision of famous players will be learning of 9 key values of the F4F programme in the Nine Values School, Tradition, Peace, Friendship, Victory, Equality, Health, Fairness, Respect and Devotion.

This initiative has already been recognised by the UN as a unique educational programme.

211 countries and regions joined the Football for Friendship in 2018, with the final events of the season held in Moscow, Russia, 8 to 15 June 2018.