Bangalore set for football talent hunt

BANGALORE: Bangalore will be part of the third edition of the Bajaj Allianz Junior Football Camp from June 15 to July 15 with five lucky teenagers standing an opportunity to win an all-expense paid trip to Germany for an international training camp with German champions Bayern Munich.
Upon their return, these kids will also receive training scholarships from Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan under their Youth Development Programme.
Former international footballer Arumainayagam, Karnataka coach Dakshana Murthy and state U-16 and U-19 team coach Ravi Babu will comprise the judging panel for the tournament, which will feature an estimated 45,000 children from over 700 schools across 120 cities in India.
"It gives me great pride to be a part of this initiative in Bangalore. This is a unique platform to nurture budding football talent in the state of Karnataka and give them an opportunity to nurture their skills amidst the best in the world," Arumainayagam said.
Teams from top 50 schools from each city will first play at their respective institutions, from where two talented players will be selected. These 100 kids will then be divided in teams and the top 15 will head to Pune for the national final along with youngsters from Delhi, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kerala and the North East.
The three most promising players from Bangalore during the National Final will be awarded cash prizes worth Rs 50,000, Rs 25,000 and Rs 15,000 respectively on the basis of their performance during the activity.
The selected five will get the opportunity to train under Bayern Munich coaches and meet stars such as Thomas Mueller and Bastian Schweinsteiger among others and also witness a match at the Allianz Arena.
Last year, Wilfred Synrem and Aakash Dave (Kolkata), Adarsh Tamang (Darjeeling) and Avrhishto Fernandes (Goa) were the talented four selected to go to Munich.
The first three are currently part of the Mohun Bagan Youth Development Programme.
In the last two years, ten budding footballers from across the country have had the opportunity to interact and train with coaches from Bayern Munich.