Soccer enthusiasts set to leave for training with Man U

VADODARA: The 18-member Baroda Football Academy (BFA) team, the first one from the state to train at Manchester United in United Kingdom, will be leaving for their six-day training programme on Friday. The players are in an upbeat mood on the eve of their departure.
These ardent football fans and budding players will get a chance to step on the ground revered as Theatre of Dreams the football stadium of Manchester United where many a soccer player have spent their formative years.And, this initiative was taken by ardent football follower, coach and businessman from the city Gaurav Upadhyaya from BFA.
"This is once in a lifetime opportunity that I did not want to miss. I just cannot wait to be on the ground where many prominent players have played," said Ashwin Padmanabhan, a class 11 student from Zydus School for Excellence in Ahmedabad.
Dev Doshi is equally excited on being selected as one of the 18 selected members. "It's an awesome feeling as I will get a chance to get tips from world's best coaches of Man U," added Doshi, a student of class nine from Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan.
Doshi's schoolmate Karan Shah, who is part of the team shared, "This is the first opportunity that a team from our state is selected for a training programme at their club in UK. I am going to make the most of this trip."
And, it's not just students from the state but this NRI student from Dubai, Veer Doshi who recently enrolled with BFA is also one of the lucky ones. "It's a dream come true for anyone playing or following football to visit the Theatre of Dreams. This trip will induce confidence in us as we will get an exposure which we might not get in India," said Doshi, a student of Dubai Modern High School.