FOSA FOOTBALL CLUB
Flexknit’s owners have known each other since they were kids and played football together.
One day they thought about a positive way to give something positive back to Madagascar. As we all know sport connects people, especially football, no matter which age, color or background.
The idea was born.
Across the factory in Antananarivo they built an indoor football hall to create a place for social activities. The overall atmosphere in the entire company improved incredibly since weekly games were organized between all company departments. Everyone is involved; owners, clients, knitters, merchandisers, basically everyone who shares the passion for football.
Inspired by the positive outcome the owners started FOSA Juniors in 2015– a football club association to support Malagasy youth. FOSA Juniors gathers boys from age 11 to 21 around soccer teams in Antananarivo. Flexknits’ vision is to contribute to youth empowerment and a renewed vision of sports, especially football in Madagascar.
Flexknit pays for school tuition, provides training, transportation, accommodations, and food. FOSA Juniors is currently composed of more than 100 boys. The project seeks to raise awareness on the power of sports by building and strengthening partnerships with 1 to 3 schools to establish school curricula adapted to the project’s activities. The final goal constitutes in building a strong bridge between formal education and sports.
There are now six teams in the association, of which two compete professionally. In 2016, the club represented the National Madagascar team at the Tournament of Indian Ocean Countries (UFFOI) and won. The club also played and won several matches in the Netherlands against local teams from different divisions. The first team, stationed in Majunga, entered the national competition of Madagascar in 2017 and won the National Cup. This allowed them to compete internationally at the Confederation Cup Africa (CAF) in 2018.
