It was an amazing day for some 120 students in Kanthan who were given the opportunity to refine their football skills, under the tutelage of seasoned coaches as part of Lafarge Malaysia’s Jom Bola programme.
Organised in collaboration with 1MalaysiaCC (1MCC) which uses football to develop youths, this inaugural football camp or Jom Bola, is part of Lafarge’s community outreach programme to nurture students from its adopted schools.
To be held in four regions with the first in Kanthan, Jom Bola is the first-of-its kind camp to incorporate a risk assessment session to ensure players’ safety at all times. It will reach out to some 400 students between the ages of 10 and 17 years old across 24 schools by the end of the year.
Lafarge’s Kanthan Plant Manager, Jean-Yves Clement said, “The football camp was just fantastic. It provided a fun atmosphere for kids and youths alike to pick up and sharpen their football skills.
“As an extension of our aim to build a health and safety culture in our adopted schools, the students were taught personal risk assessment to ensure personal and team safety at all times.”
Muhammad Naufal bin Mohamad Shukri, 14, SMK Methodist said, “I learnt about how to stay safe before and during playing football. It is very important to know our fitness level and to remember four things: sleep well, eat well, warm up and stay hydrated.”
Cheong Ming Heng, 11, SJK (C) Chung Hwa added, “I really love football and had so much fun playing with my friends. I also learnt that safety is important on and off field.”
Clement also said, “It’s also a great opportunity for us to get to know the kids better and to bond with them. We have been a part of the Kanthan community for decades and together, we can build a stronger and more cohesive community.”
More than 20 employees from the plant took part in the day’s activities, and served as facilitators, complementing the roles of 1MCC’s coaches. 1MCC is a project to improve the future of Malaysian football by educating and coaching youngsters at grassroots level.
Lafarge’s community initiatives include the Lafarge Education Bursary Award, which has awarded some RM2.5 million in bursaries since 1997.
