11 Airtel Rising Stars from India will train at the prestigious ‘Manchester United Soccer School’ this month
– Sanath Valldares and Akram Khan selected from Mumbai –
Marking the culmination of Airtel Rising Stars 2013-14, the country’s largest and most intensive six-month talent hunt conducted across seven cities, eleven of India’s finest under-sixteen football players grabbed the chance of a lifetime to train at the prestigious Manchester United Soccer School.
Sanath Valldares and Akram Khan from Mumbai, Arka Dey and Rajib Roy from Kolkata, Mohd Aqib and Karan Khurana from Delhi, Premchand Singh (GoalKeeper) and Niraj Singh from Bangalore, Liston Colaco and Jolitan Dias from Goa, and Rakesh K from Hyderabad will fly to Manchester on 26th April 2014. Airtel Rising Stars of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will also be accompanying the Indian eleven to Manchester.
Out of twenty-three selected participants from 7 cities, the chosen eleven emerged as the most promising after the rigorous two-day camp in Goa in February, where they were judged on technical and tactical skill, physical and mental strength, social skills, on field behaviour, communication, discipline, enthusiasm and fair play.
At the Manchester United Soccer School, the players will undergo a weeklong training beginning 28th April and ending 1st May alongside the Manchester United Academy team. The camp will take place at the Salford City Reds Stadium where players will undergo practical sessions and workshops on ‘Live the United Way’. On 2nd May the players will be at the Aon Training Complex witnessing the football festival along with medal presentation and closing.
On their arrival in the United Kingdom on 26th April, the players will also tour the iconic Old Trafford Stadium and watch the match between Manchester United FC and Norwich City FC. Their itinerary also includes a city tour on 27th April, which will be a relaxed day for the boys.
Started by Bharti Airtel in association with Manchester United, one of the best soccer clubs in the world, Airtel Rising Stars screens young footballers across India for sporting capabilities and skill sets based on their performance in tests, real time match simulations etc.
Speaking on the culmination of the ‘Airtel Rising Stars 2013-14’ program, Mohit Beotra, Chief Brand Officer, Bharti Airtel, said, “We are excited at the opportunity that Airtel Rising Stars has given these 11 young boys and wish them all the best for their career in professional football”
Airtel Rising Stars 2013-14, an initiative launched by Bharti Airtel has provided these talented young players a platform to help them kick-off a career in professional football.
The on-ground execution of ‘Airtel Rising Stars’ has been entrusted to Procam International – India’s largest Sports marketing and Leisure Management company.
In 2009, Bharti Airtel had announced its tie-up with Manchester United to bring a variety of benefits for Airtel’s football loving customers in India. As part of this association, Airtel customers across India have been enjoying exclusive access to Manchester United football content as well as money-can’t-buy match experiences. The ARS programme is an extension of this long term association between brand Airtel and Manchester United.
