PROMOTE SPORTS WHERE FILIPINOS COULD BE WINNERS IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS

Unlike in basketball, Messi who is only 5'5" could show to the Filipinos that height is not the main criteria to become a world champion.

Excerpts from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 

Messi was born in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, to parents Jorge Horácio Messi, a factory steel worker, and Celia María Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner.[21][22][23][24] His paternal family originates from the Italian city of Ancona, from which his ancestor, Angelo Messi, emigrated to Argentina in 1883.[25][26] He has two older brothers, Rodrigo and Matías, and a sister, María Sol.[27] At the age of five, Messi started playing football for Grandoli, a local club coached by his father Jorge.[28] In 1995, Messi switched to Newell's Old Boys who were based in his home city Rosario.[28] He became part of a local youth powerhouse that lost only one match in the next four years and became locally known as "The Machine of '87", from the year of their birth.[29] At the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency.[30] Local powerhouse River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for treatment for his condition, which cost $900 a month.[24] Carles Rexach, the sporting director of FC Barcelona, had been made aware of his talent as Messi had relatives in Lleida, and Messi and his father were able to arrange a trial with the team.[24] Rexach, with no other paper at hand, offered Messi a contract written on a paper napkin.[31][32] Barcelona offered to pay for Messi's medical bills if he was willing to move to Spain. Messi and his father moved to Barcelona where Messi enrolled in the club's youth academy.[28][32]

Messi has been compared to compatriot Diego Maradona, due to their similar playing style and stature,^[213] which gives him a lower centre of gravity than most players, allowing him to be more agile and change direction more quickly, helping him to evade tackles.^[214] His short, strong legs allow him to excel in short bursts of acceleration and his quick feet allow him to keep control of the ball when dribbling at speed.^[215] His former FC Barcelona manager, Pep Guardiola, once stated: “Messi is the only player that runs faster with the ball than he does without it.”^[216] Like Maradona before him, Messi is dominantly a left footed player.^[217] With the outside of his left foot, he usually begins dribbling runs, whilst he uses the inside of his foot to finish and provide passes and assists to team mates.^[214]