MANILA – Under the auspices of the British Council, Pru-Life UK, ABS-CBN, and SM Cinema, the Little Azkals grassroots initiative to promote football in the Philippines sent 22 boys (chosen from 1000 aspirants) to the UK to undergo intensive training at Loughborough University, a facility recognized as the country’s premiere sports education institute.
A documentary team followed the boys on their journey and a film produced of the endevour, entitled, Little Azkals, which had its red carpet screening last night at The Podium.
Frequently reiterated throughout the film, the ultimate goal of the Little Azkals program is to create and foster a strong passion and culture for the sport that the participating kids could take back and share with their respective home provinces and teams in order to one day raise the standing of Philippine football on the international scene.
Contrasting the facilities and training the boys received at home with the modern equivalents they were exposed to overseas, the film blends a traditional “underdog”-style narrative with the day-to-day footage one expects to see from a documentary, intercut with interviews from the children’s parents.
Following the film, members of the Little Azkals who were able to attend were introduced to the audience, along with some of their their visibly-proud adult counterparts from the national team. Azkals little and large then gamely posed for photos with each other and their fans.
Also in attendance were children from the Gawad Kalinga (GK) SipaG Program, a GK initiative created to develop the life skills and values of underprivileged Filipino youth through activity-based sports programs.
Little Azkals will be screened exclusively in SM Cinemas on October 25 and 26.
