Youth football in China received a boost when Coca-Cola announced a partnership agreement with FIFA, the world's governing footballing body. The partnership will extend Coca-Cola's long- term commitment and support of football until 2006. The eight-year agreement includes sponsorship of the 2002 and the 2006 World Cup tournaments. 'By pledging support to FIFA for the next eight years, we are guaranteed a solid working relationship to help train China's youth up to world-class levels,' Coca-Cola China Ltd president John Farrell said. Coca-Cola's major football development programme is the international Coke-Go For Goal, aimed at providing opportunities for youngsters to receive formal coaching. Launched in China in 1986, the long-term programme is conducted through schools by training physical education teachers as coaches. With clinics run in 17 cities to date, Coke-Go For Goal has trained more than 1,500 coaches. An estimated 1.5 million youngsters in China have benefited from the FIFA-backed programme.