IFF, Youth FA host over 300 children at U7 Fun Festival

‘Qassam’ (pass the ball), ‘Shoot’ and ‘Goal!’

The Malta FA training pitches in Ta’ Qali were teeming with activity on Friday morning as over 320 children from 30 local youth football nurseries took part in an Under-7 Fun Festival, organised jointly by the Youth Football Association and the Inħobb il-Futbol Foundation (IFF).

The thrill of playing on the famed natural turf of the Malta FA pitches, where the country’s national teams train, added to the excitement and enthusiasm of the participating children who played in mixed teams as fun and inclusion were the principal themes of this festival. The practice games were on 3vs3 basis with a duration of 10 minutes each.

The festival also served as a great opportunity to promote a prestigious football event being held on the Maltese islands this coming July – the 2023 UEFA Under-19 Championship which was launched earlier this week.

Where Legends Are Born is the slogan of the tournament which will showcase some of the Europe’s emerging football talents, presenting a great opportunity for children and youths as well as sports fans to watch these rising stars at close quarters while supporting the Malta Under-19 national team.

Greece, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Spain are the teams that qualified for 2023 UEFA Under-19 Championship which will be played across four stadia – National Stadium, Tony Bezzina Stadium, Centenary Stadium and Gozo Stadium – between 3 and 16 July.

Malta FA President Bjorn Vassallo attended the event together with Fr Hilary Tagliaferro, the Honorary President of the Youth FA, Gareth Sciberras, Chairman of the Inħobb il-Futbol Foundation, and other top Malta FA officials.

During the festival, representatives of local youth nurseries were presented with the annual UEFA solidarity payments.