XXVII Friendship Cup organized with Cantolao Academy.

(Lima, January 25, 2010).- A total of 5,000 children – members of children’s and youth football teams from Lima, the provinces and eight other countries – are participating in the XXVII CAF Friendship Cup in venues in Lima and El Callao. The event which starts today and ends January 31 is organized by the Cantolao Sports Academy with CAF support for the third year running.

The opening ceremony and parade of the participating delegations was held at night in the Plaza Principal of La Punta-Callao, in a colorful forest of flags.

CAF deputy representative in Peru Ricardo Campins said the cooperation, which the multilateral organization provides for holding the tournament, is part of the larger initiative "Let’s save the Dolphins" promoted by the CAF Vice Presidency of Social and Environmental Development since late 2007, which supports youth and children from socially underprivileged sectors of El Callao in risk situations.

This support includes psychological, teaching and nutritional care for 50 children from low-income sectors of El Callao, as well as support for football as a tool for rescuing children and young people with problems, he added.

Sports training

The "Let’s save the Dolphins" project is part of the sports training promoted by CAF with the aim of supporting organizations similar to the Cantolao Academy in Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela and Ecuador.

The president of Cantolao Academy, Dante Mandriotti, said the tournament was one of the most important children’s football tournaments in Latin America, because it enjoys the approval of FIFA and the support of UNICEF.

In previous tournaments, teams from all corners of Peru and the world have participated with players aged 9 to 16.

This year, the XXVII CAF Friendship Cup will host teams from Corinthians of Brazil, Club Monaguillos of Colombia, Andean School of Chile, EMELEC and Rocafuerte Football School of Ecuador, Golden Soccer of the United States, along with Cruz Azul of Mexico and Isla Margarita School of Venezuela.

The local teams include Cantolao Academy in all its categories, Tito Drago Academy, AELU, Semillero Cueto La Rosa, Universitario de Deportes, Alianza Lima, Municipal Sports School, along with the colleges of San Agustín, Juan Semino de Piura, Melgar de Arequipa, IDUNSA and Yanahura Football Academy of Arequipa, Wanka Wallarsh of Huancayo, Cienciano and Carlos Daniel Jurado Football Club of Cuzco, César Vallejo Sports Club of Trujillo, Francisco San Román of Puno, and Señor de los Milagros Academy of Pucallpa.

The teams which are divided into nine categories (1993 to 2001) will play in the following venues: National Sports Villa (VIDENA), Miguel Grau Stadium, San Agustín College, Contralmirante Montero Naval College, Lima Cultural Club, Chalaca Football Plaza, and Football Center.

In last year’s XXVI CAF Friendship Cup, over 4,000 players took part from clubs in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, United States, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, among others.

The well known international players who took part in this prestigious championship included: Argentines Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona) and Javier Zanetti (Inter de Milán), Uruguayan Alvaro Recoba (Panionios NFC of Greece), along with Peruvians Jefferson Farfán and Carlos Zambrano (FC Shalke 04), Claudio Pizarro (Werder Bremen) and Nolberto Solano (Universitario de Deportes); and joining the list: Juan Carlos Mariño, Paolo de la Haza, Luis Guadalupe, Jean Ferrari, Donny Neyra, Junior Ross, Ryan Salazar, Raymond Manco and Néstor Duarte, who emerged from the teams of Cantolao Academy.