Jr booters bound for Milo-FC Barcelona camp
A group of young Filipino footballers will fly to Spain as part of the first Philippine delegation to the Milo-FC Barcelona global camp, where they will get a unique chance to train, learn and play the Barca way at Camp Nou.
Milo Philippines VP business head manager Willy de Ocampo and Milo Philippines sports executive Robbie de Vera said 13 “most deserving” booters aged 10 to 12 have been chosen from about 150 aspirants to take the trip to Barcelona.
They will be up for a series of activities over two legs (Oct. 15-18 and Oct. 19-23), topped off by a training session with Barcelona legend Eric Abidal and choice seats to a La Liga match between Lionel Messi and Barca against Malaga, plus a tour of museums and Spanish cities.
“We’re very excited because these kids are offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to realize their dreams. Hopefully, if these kids are good enough, they’ll get picked by youth development coaches of Barca,” De Vera said during yesterday’s sendoff in Taguig.
He named the players as Lien Dale Manuel (Vicente Lim Elementary School), Lara Angela Amante (Isabelo de los Reyes Elementary School), Liam Arc Villaran (Don Bosco College Canlubang), Kevin Hadap (Diosdado P. Macapagal Elementary School), Heaven Andrei Teodosio (Ilaya Barangka Integrated School), Lorenzo Miguel Castillo Plaza (Xavier School),
Alexis Caitlin Tan (Keys School Manila), Joseph Kyne Garces (Don Bosco Technical College-Cebu), Marcus Lucas Arias (Don Bosco College-Canlubang), Lorenz Albert Tortona (Xavier School), Enzo Gacutan Courbet (Brent International School), Boris Malcolm Uy (Keys School Manila), and Ethan Jacob Roxas (Paref Springdale-Cebu).
They are the standouts from the two-day “Road to Barcelona’ selection camp conducted last September by an expert panel composed of coaches from FCB Escola Youth Academy, Philippine Football Federation and Milo Philippines.
“We believe that we have a really good team of kids who exemplify the right mix of values and skills that both Milo and FC Barcelona advocate. It is our hope that the journey of these kids inspire more and more young Filipinos to be their best, and reach for their dreams,” said De Vera.
A total of 80 kids will participate in the global camp, with Colombia, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Ghana, Dominican Republic, Chile and Australia also sending representatives.
The first batch of the Milo-FCB Phl contingent will leave on Saturday with a second batch following suit on Thursday.
Milo officials admitted hiccups in processing travel documents of some of the delegates but assured everyone they’re coordinating with the proper agencies to expedite their release.
“We’re committed to bring everybody to Barcelona. We’re processing all visas so rest assured, everybody will go, it’s just a matter of when they will go. Those whose visas will not make it on the first batch leaving on Saturday, there’s a second batch that leaves on Thursday. Everybody within the list, we’re working to make sure they will go,” said De Ocampo.
“We even coordinated with our partner PFF and PSC in facilitating necessary documents for all these participants so much so they may try to get the required documents – passports and visas – expedited. We’re working hard with them already, with their families, to make sure the kids can make the trip,” said De Vera.