Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The AFC, in collaboration with the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and Asian Development Bank, has embarked on a nationwide ‘Protect the Goal’ campaign in Malaysia to create awareness of the globally threatening disease.
The ‘Protect the Goal’ campaign in Malaysia kicked off with a Football Coaching Clinic held last Sunday at the Kuala Lumpur Johan Cruyff Court in Brickfields from 9am until 1pm. The campaign is targeted at children, both boys and girls, between the ages of 10-14.
National football defender, K. Reuben, who features for the Armed Forces team in the on-going Malaysia Cup, was present thanks to his role as the ‘Ambassador’ of ‘Protect the Goal’. An advocate of a healthy lifestyle, Reuben gave a talk on HIV/AIDS and its prevention to all the participants during the event.
“I am proud to be able to be part of this campaign,” said Reuben who had joined several other coaches in the coaching clinic. “We should always maintain a healthy lifestyle for good health and I believe getting involved in sports programmes is an ideal way in staying away from undesirable activities.”
A similar programme will also be carried out on Malaysia’s National Day on August 31, 2014, at Taman Maluri National School, Kuala Lumpur.
This will be followed by another Football Coaching Clinic on September 7, 2014 at Taman Dato’ Harun Secondary School in Petaling Jaya district where 15 to 20 teams and more than 150 players will be present, and on September 28, 2014 in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan state.
The ‘Protect the Goal’ campaign was launched at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa to educate society on HIV prevention programmes. Globally, an estimated 5.4 million adolescents and young people are living with HIV, and an estimated 1.8 million people are eligible for HIV treatment.
The ‘Three Zeroes’ vision driven by United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the ‘Protect the Goal’ campaign has received tremendous support from AFC affiliates with the objective of achieving Zero New HIV Infections, Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS-Related Deaths.
Millions of young people living with HIV do not know they are living with the virus, and every day, approximately 2,100 adolescents and young people become newly-infected, a figure which accounts for 36% of all new HIV infections globally.
The ‘Protect the Goal’ campaign is designed to ride on the popularity and power of football to unite the world towards the goal of an AIDS-free generation.