Versatile footballer Keisuke Honda is a household name in Japan and across the globe for his unquestionable enormous and decent service to the beautiful game.
His calm and sober mind has won him more passionate admirers and friends than foes across the divide.
It therefore easily passes without question, that, when the United Nations appointed him as the ‘Global Advocate for Youth’, the entire humanity cause chorally applauded and nodded in the affirmative.
On Friday, Honda is set to visit Uganda, a tranquil state christened the ‘Pearl of Africa’ by Sir Wintson Churchhill as far back as the 18th century.
The AC Milan star player in the Italian Serie A will be accompanied by a personal friend, Sulley Muntari, a Ghanaian sweet left footed international now with Italian club, Delfino Pescara 1936.
The duo is expected to set foot at Entebbe International Airport on Friday afternoon and will be received by UN officials in Uganda at the VIP section of the only international airport in the country.
Honda will then address a press conference later in the day at Serena Hotel in Kampala.
His visit to Uganda will entail series of activities that include meeting with youths in slums as an inspiring gesture to millions of youngsters who wish to trend the Honda path in football and elsewhere.
Upon his appointment as a UN Advocate for Youth on June 22 last year in Washington DC, Honda was tasked to focus on mobilizing action to address major challenges faced by young people around the world and engaging youth in support of the vital work of the United Nations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
In due humbleness, Honda is remarkably quoted by italyUN.it;
Soccer has given me the platform to reach and engage youth worldwide in a conversation that can help them shape their future.
I am honored to be able to play my part in helping to tackle global issues and create a better world.
Elizabeth Cousens, UN Foundation Deputy Chief Executive Officer believes in the youth as a catalyst for change;
Youth in every society have always been unique catalysts for change. They approach the future with an urgency and creativity we need to mobilize, and they understand the stakes.
We are so excited to be working with Keisuke to help us build a new cadre of United Nations advocates and connect young people around the world to in addressing some of the most important challenges of our time.
As the global community works alongside the United Nations to implement the new Sustainable Development Goals, young people are key to successfully achieving the goals.
Today’s youth generation is the largest in human history, with 1.2 billion aged 15-24 worldwide. During the timeframe the world works to achieve the global goals, that number will continue to grow, with nearly 2 billion more people projected to turn 15 years old by 2030.
For the last decade Honda has dedicated his off season to holding global soccer camps and clinics for children in countries including Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United States.
He donated a soccer facility to the city of Ishinomaki, Japan, which was devastated by the Fukushima earthquake in 2011.
A native of Settsu, a suburb of the capital Osaka, Honda is not only famous for his tempting bending free-kicks, but also, best known for his versatility on the field as he undertakes several tasks as a creative midfielder, deep lying play maker and as a winger.
Who is Honda?:
Keisuke Honda was born in Settu, Osaka in Japan on 13th June 1986.
He started his football career with the native Settu Academy in 1994 before he graduated to the senior team.
He also played at Osaka Gamba and Seiryō High School in his early years.
Honda earned his first bread and butter through football at Nagoya Grampus in Japan.
He then switched allegiance to Netherlands with VVV-Venlo, Russia’s CSKA Moscow before crossing to the current club, AC Milan.
He has played for the Japan U-20 and U-23 sides before graduating to the senior team where he maintains a starting and commanding slot in the 90 games played thus far.
He has represented Japan at the FIFA World Cup in both the 2010 and 2014 editions, scoring a goal in both tournaments.
As an entrepreneur, Keisuke started his own management company, Honda Estilo, in 2007. The philosophy of the company is to provide hopes and dreams through sports. The company’s youth soccer program has now grown to over 60 schools and 3,500 students.
In 2015, Honda also decided to acquire a professional soccer club in Austria to provide a direct path for the students to become a professional soccer players.
Philanthropically, Honda has dedicated his off-season to conducting soccer camps around the world in countries such as Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United States. He also donated a soccer field to the city of Ishinomaki, which was devastated by the Fukushima earthquake.
Most recently, Honda also made a donation for those that were affected in the Kumamoto earthquake. His company held a soccer tournament with all proceeds geared to the relief efforts in Kumamoto.
