The Telegraph - Fair Play 2030 is underway

Juan Reinoso is 13 years old and had only played soccer on dirt courts with his friends. His greatest wish is one day to put on some pupos (soccer shoes) and play a game on a synthetic grass field.

He lives in a humble neighborhood of the Pascuales parish and his dream is to be a soccer player. His parents will enroll him in the soccer school that will open at the Roberto Gilbert Sports Complex.

In that place, the President of the Republic, Lenín Moreno, inaugurated this Friday the first synthetic field that is part of the Fair Play 2030 program, promoted by the Government through the Sports Secretariat.

Juan tried to enter the complex during the event and run on the court, but he was unable to do so. He will have to wait until a soccer school begins to function there.

The president of the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF), Francisco Egas; the Secretary of Sport, Andrea Sotomayor; the champion goalkeeper of the LigaPro Banco Pichincha with Delfín de Manta, Pedro Ortiz; and former Ecuadorian soccer player Giancarlos Ramos.

According to the estimation of the Secretary of Sport, this field with regulatory measures will benefit more than 2,000 children of that popular sector of the north of Guayaquil.

Prior to the official ceremony, students from the Vicente Rocafuerte and Aguirre Abaddis educational units played a football match.

This project, of a social and sports nature, proposes the construction of 1,000 soccer fields: 30% of the multipurpose type and 70% of this sport. The goal is to prevent drug use and eradicate violence, benefiting the entire country.

The construction of the courts will be made in 20 provinces and 40 cantons. Francisco Egas, president of Ecuafútbol, ​​attended the event and stated that the organization he leads will support this government project with soccer schools.

They will include the coaches who graduated from the Instituto Superior Tecnológico de Fútbol, ​​where the FEF trains technical directors.

The main objectives of the Fair Play 2030 program are to prevent drug use, eradicate violence, mass sports, and better use of free time.

More than 200,000 children and young people will be the beneficiaries, as Moreno explained during his intervention before more than 60 minors. 60% of the courts will be built in schools and colleges.

“The delivery of this first field is an important step in our goal towards a healthy and proactive society. We signed an agreement with the Royal Spanish Football Federation to train 500 coaches. With fair play we will defeat drugs, pessimism and mediocrity!”, said the President.

In the program, attendees also enjoyed sports exhibitions where the main technical fundamentals of soccer were demonstrated.

Adamaris Bravo, an outstanding athlete from the soccer school of the Guayas Sports Federation, thanked President Lenín Moreno for creating these spaces.

"Today we are witnessing the inauguration of this field where new talents can be discovered and the sport we like the most promoted," said the young woman, to applause. (I)