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Football: PH Street Child World Cup teams get ready for Rio

They have suffered untold hardships and oftentimes lived in despair and hopelessness. But for two weeks they will carry the flag in Football-mad Brazil.

Football's Street Child World Cup takes place in Rio at the end of this month, and for the second time, the Philippines will be sending a team. Actually, make that two teams. Unlike the inaugural event in 2010 in South Africa, there are separate competitions now for men and women under 18 years old. (The similar Homeless World Cup is for older players.)

Sponsoring the teams are Witsenburg Natural Products, a Dutch company selling organic health products, many of which are sourced in the Philippines, and AgriNurture Inc., a Filipino Agri-business company. Both companies practice Fair Trade policies to uplift the lives of the farming communities they deal with.

Conrad Alleblas of Witsenburg and Larry Lacson of Agri-Nurture joined Roy Moore, head of Fairplay For All Foundation, (FFA) the group organizing the Philippine team, at the press con in Howzat Sports Bar on Thursday to announce the team.

But more than just serve as an outlet for young players to enjoy Football, the SCWC is also meant to raise awareness of the plight of street children all over the world. Moore says there could be up to three million of them in the Philippines alone. Many of the team members have heart-rending stories to tell.

Crystal, 17 years old, was born and raised in a cemetery in Caloocan until the age of four. Her mother is a street vendor and her father still lives in squalor there in the graveyard. Crystal grew up surrounded by drug addicts and glue sniffers, many who have since passed away.

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Crystal (it's the policy of FFA not to reveal last names of the children) eventually found the Mango School run by Asian Students Christian Foundation in Rodriguez (Montalban), Rizal where she has been raised since. It's also there were she discovered Football. She dreams of studying a college course that will allow her to be a Social Worker. Her remarkable life story is the subject of this touching Youtube video.

Aldrin, 16, is one of eleven children of a carpenter in Tatalon, QC. He and his siblings all lived into a tiny shack, and oftentimes had to move when things got rough. He has been Footballing since the age of seven and plays for the school team in Ramon Magsaysay high school. He hopes to make a college Football team. Aldrin will play striker in Rio.

Maylene is from Davao, and came from the SOS Children's Village, a home for at-risk kids and orphans. Her mom died at the age of six from complications from a car accident sustained soon after she gave birth with Maylene. The mom was paralyzed and suffered for six years before passing away. Fortunately SOS took care of Maylene and her two half-brothers. Now sixteen, Maylene has been playing Football for six years.

Pampa-tanggal ng stress, pero minsan parang nadadagdagan” (it removes my stress but sometimes adds to it) she says of the sport with a chuckle. When asked how she feels about going to Rio, she covers her face with her shirt in a vain attempt to hide her excitement.

Mark-Joseph is a winger from Leveriza in Metro Manila. He learned to play in the rocky, sandy, dusty field beside the Manila Zoo. He calls barangay Maginhawa in Leveriza his home, where frequent flooding often forces him to stay at his grandmother's place.

Joy is another Davaoeña SOS Village product who will play goalie for the Women's team. She has been playing since grade one. She found her way to SOS Village after her parents were unable to take care of her. Her goalkeeping idol is Real Madrid's Iker Casillas, who she says is “dili hambog” (not arrogant.)

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These players were chosen from over 500 aspirants in Manila and Davao. There were supposed to be tryouts in other areas but Typhoon Haiyan understandably diverted both funding and attention to the storm-hit areas.

Each team will have nine players each. The tournament is a seven-a-side event. Last time the Philippines won the second-tier Shield competition for teams who finished third and fourth in their groups, defeating hosts South Africa in the final. Nonetheless the home crowd cheered the Pinoys on because of their good nature all throughout the event, according to Moore, who coached the team. He will once again coach the two sides for this event, which kicks off on March 29. The teams leave on the 27th.

In the 2010 running the Pinoys also defeated Brazil 6-2 in one of the country's most amazing Footballing achievements.

Both teams of the 2014 event have been practicing in The Camp in Taguig, the indoor artificial-grass field owned by Loyola Meralco Spark Fred Gonzalez. On Thursday the ladies drew UP's women's team 2-2 in a 7-a-side game. Other friendlies are lined up.

FFA is still looking for funding and sponsors for the boys team, although the plane tickets have already been booked. On Monday FFA will hold a P1000-per-entry fundraiser in Howzat, where game-worn jerseys by Stephan Schrock, Rob Gier, and one of the Younghusbands will be auctioned off.

FFA is looking far beyond the SCWC. Moore and Naomi Tomlinson, the founders of the foundation, plan an FFA Academy in Payatas, QC that will have a Futsal court, pre-school, and an urban farm. Any excess funds raised for the SCWC teams will go to these ventures.

Also at the press con were 201o SCWC vets Roberto Orlandez, Noriel Pineones and Erica Mae Inocencio. Orlandez plays for Benilde in the NCAA while Inocencio works as a pastry chef in Diamond Hotel.

We want to sustainably and holistically break this cycle of poverty” says Moore. “If you invest in these kids, you'll realize they have so much potential.”

The teams:

Boys: Aldrin (Gawad Kalinga), Kenneth (Gawad Kalinga), Mackie (Gawad Kalinga), Tyrone (Gawad Kalinga), Ronald (FC Leveriza), Benjamin (FC Leveriza), Mark Joseph (FC Leveriza), Stephen (Mango), and Raven (Haven for Children).

Girls: Agot (SOS Village Davao), Joy (SOS Village Davao), Myleene (SOS Village Davao), Ronalyn (Payatas FC), Angelica (Payatas FC), April Joy (Payatas FC), Yanzie (Gawad Kalinga), Crystal (Mango), and Juvie Lyn (Josie's Angels)* *pending documents

2014 Street Child World Cup Participating nations:

BOYS: Philippines, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Mauritius, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, South Africa, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, USA, Nicaragua, Brazil, and Argentina.

GIRLS: Philippines, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, UK, USA, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Brazil.

If you would like to donate to the Philippine SCWC team and/or Fairplay For All Foundation, visit www.justgiving.com/Fairplay-For-All-Foundation.

The official site for the competition is www.streetchildworldcup.org.

You may learn more about Witsenburg at www.witsenburg.net. The website of AgriNurture is www.ani.com.ph.

Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.