Inhobb il-futbol Foundation focuses on increasing participation

Greater accessibility and increased participation in football, establishing a defined pathway from grassroots to elite football, and the consolidation of social responsibility initiatives are at the heart of the mission of the Inħobb il-Futbol Foundation (IFF), founded last year as a Voluntary Organisation within the Malta FA.

The Foundation’s commitment has already resulted in the implementation of several projects in just over a year as explained by Gareth Sciberras, the IFF Chairman, during a media event held on Tuesday afternoon at the Centenary Hall.

“The Foundation is committed to increasing the popularity of football at the grassroots level while contributing towards a positive social change and the strengthening of the sporting culture in our country with emphasis on inclusion,” Sciberras, a former Malta international, said.

“The mission of the Foundation is being implemented through various projects and initiatives which attest to the progress made in the different sectors within the IFF remit. This certainly bodes well for the future, increasing our motivation to keep improving and taking the necessary steps to help our children to flourish while championing the IFF values – to be trustworthy, promote inclusivity, and prioritise teamwork and sportsmanship in all our efforts.”

The creation of the Foundation represents one of the pillars of the Malta FA Strategy with Dr Angelo Chetcuti, the Malta FA General Secretary, expressing the Association’s satisfaction with the projects undertaken by the IFF during a challenging year due to COVID-19.

TALENT DEVELOPMENT

From a talent development perspective, the IFF is now responsible for the organisation of the National Youth Leagues for Under-17, Under-15 and Under-14 teams. Aligned with the Foundation’s priority to enhance the development of young players, talent identification and the pathway from grassroots to the elite is the Regional Football Hubs project.

Ivan Woods, the IFF Grassroots Manager, explained that the hub project in the U-14 age group has seen the participation of around 60 players from nine different youth nurseries and a total of 115 training sessions since September. At the end of April, 31 players were selected to form the Under-14 national squad who are currently preparing for two international friendlies against Lithuania in mid-June.

Over 100 players from 18 different nurseries have been involved in 70 training sessions as part of the Regional Football Hub project in the U-12 and U-13 age groups.

GRASSROOTS AND GIRLS FOOTBALL

At the grassroots level, the IFF has two ongoing projects – Fun Fit Football and UEFA Playmakers. Kurt Formosa, the IFF CEO, said these two projects complement the Foundation’s mission to encourage more children to practise sport and lead an active lifestyle as Fun Fit Football is aimed at giving pupils at primary schools the opportunity to try football while UEFA Playmakers introduces girls, aged five to eight, to the game of football through compelling story-telling based on Disney movies.

Launched in October, the UEFA Playmakers has proved very popular with over 30 centres, including schools, girl guides and women’s football clubs, taking part in this programme. It complements other initiatives aimed at girls, including the After Schools sessions which resumed this year at nine primary schools and two middle schools, and the U-13 Girls Academy.

FUTSAL, BEACH SOCCER AND FSR

Greater importance is also being given to the promotion of futsal and beach soccer with the initiatives taken by this department including the Futsal Academy, the organisation of the U-16 National Futsal Championship and more beach soccer events targeting youths.

Social responsibility is the part of the Foundation that co-ordinates all initiatives related to the social and humanitarian aspects. Through the FSR projects, the IFF together with the Malta FA are helping a lot of people from different backgrounds through football-related activities.

The Foundation is managed by a Board of Administrators which is composed of members with different experiences in local football, namely Gareth Sciberras, former Malta player Michael Galea (vice-chairman), Dr Neville Gatt (Secretary), Raymond Vella, the former Malta captain, former women’s national team player Sharon Costantino, Paul Galea, former national coach Pippo Psaila, Joe Cassar (representing the Youth FA), and Bjorn Vassallo and Dr Angelo Chetcuti (representing the Malta FA).