A Philippine girls football team managed by the Payatas-based Fairplay For All Foundation climbed the podium of the 2023 World Fairplay Soccer Championship, grabbing the bronze medal last July 23 in Prora, Germany.

The Payatas girls snagged the hardware on sudden death, winning 3-2 via penalties, after a goalless draw against Mongolia.

The Payatas boys, on the distaff side, lost in the quarterfinals.

The tournament is a three-a-side futsal game with no goalkeepers.

But the result was beyond the medal and international fame for these youngsters.

“Five of the eight boys and girls on Team Philippines are expected to earn varsity football scholarships this incoming school year, with another expected to gain a varsity scholarship when she graduates high school. One of the other boys is entering fourth year college already, while the final player is using this tournament as his way back into education having enrolled in the alternative learning system,” Fairplay For All Foundation stated in its website.

Fairplay prides itself for producing reigning UAAP champion, best midfielder, rookie of the year, and finals most valuable player Regine Rebosura, a Payatas standout for the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws.

Fairplay, however, aspires not only in honing individual football talents in Payatas.

“Fairplay works to the level the playing field, creating opportunities for the kids in our community to break the cycle of poverty through holistic mentoring. To achieve this, we operate the Payatas Sports Center, where roughly 200 kids play every week, the Youth Center, which has 63 Fairplay Scholars, and the Fairplay Cafe which caters 500 meals every week,” the foundation explains.

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