HAMANO Honoka of JFA Academy Fukushima participated in the AFC Aurora eGoal Project hosted by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which took place for three weeks. This project was planned by AFC for athletes of the development category to learn about social responsibility, as 18 athletes from each football association attended online from the eastern district. Nine sessions were held in English on topics including the environment, women empowerment, diversity, social contribution, and presentations were held at the end of the programme.

Member of the AFC Social responsibility Committee Amani Kamel Al Qadi commented, “We are looking forward to seeing how these young ambassadors from all over the world utilise the plans they have come up with through this programme in their respective regions and societies.” Hamano, who attended the programme between academy activities, mentioned, “It was a great learning experience because it was the first time for me not only to listen to the stories, but also to think about how I can apply what I learned here in my local region.”

Academy Player’s Comment

HAMANO Honoka (JFA Academy Fukushima/12th Class)
I participated in the Aurora eGoal project hosted by AFC as a representative of Japan. The opening ceremony was held on 19 September, followed by nine sessions. We discussed social issues with our colleagues from other countries and listened to experts to think about how we can contribute to the society through sports. I focused on the topic of diversity and thought of how to further develop inclusive football in Japan. It was a great learning experience because it was the first time for me not only to listen to the stories, but also to think about how I can apply what I learned here in my local region. It was very difficult to hold discussions in English, especially when the topics were difficult to process even in my own language, but it was nice to be able to interact with friends from various countries. I would like to thank the staffs of JFA and the Aurora company for giving us the opportunity to participate in such wonderful project. I would like to continue to give my utmost efforts not only in football but also in academics and strive to become a person who can contribute to realising a peaceful world through sports.