KUALA LUMPUR – In a world where sports lessons come at a price, non-governmental organisation PadangBolaSepak (PBS) is pioneering free football programmes to assist underprivileged children interested in learning the sport.
In collaboration with the Football Association of Selangor and renowned strategic urban policy adviser Think City, PBS has been providing coaching lessons for over 20 kids from various People’s Housing Projects across the Klang Valley and Selangor over the past five months since initiating its programme.
Speaking to Scoop, PBS operations lead Ahnaf Yusri said that the objective behind the organisation’s initiative is to emphasise the importance of sports and aiding children in steering clear of negative influences.
“We have been actively promoting the importance of sports, especially within the B40 community. Our coaching team comprises individuals from diverse professional backgrounds who are part of this initiative.
“Nowadays, kids, particularly those from the B40 group, are easily swayed by negative activities, such as involvement in gangsterism. Thus, we are playing our part in shielding these kids from such detrimental influences.
“Through our initiative, we are not only fostering physical well-being but also contributing to the overall development and positive upbringing of underprivileged youth in society.
“We are investing in their future without expecting a return because we realise that true currency lies in empowering society through education and the limitless opportunities that football can create.
“We have also purchased football boots and futsal shoes for the underprivileged kids in our programme. God willing, we aim to reach out to more kids in other districts and expand our services in the years to come,” said Ahnaf.
In addition to football lessons, the organisation has also ventured into educating its participants in various sports disciplines and plans to broaden its free coaching services to include sports beyond football.
“To attract participants to our initiative, we maintain a database and we regularly invite participants to register through our social platforms. Those who are interested can join our coaching classes for free. We also welcome kids who walk into our training sessions with open arms.
“Besides physical football training, we provide them with classes related to sports, such as sports commentary and sports writing classes. We also have plans to replicate our initiatives by expanding to other sports in the years to come, such as softball, baseball and rugby,” Ahnaf added.
Recently, PBS partnered with the Decathlon at Old Klang Road to conduct a football clinic under the name Kita-Untuk-Kita in the Perumahan Awam Sri Sabah flats in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 30 kids attended the clinic and participated in sporting sessions. – November 29, 2023