Five Goa boys selected for Barcelona tournament

Panaji: Five under-12 footballers from Goa have been selected to be part of FCBEscola Delhi NCR, FC Brcelona`s official football academy in India, to play in the International FCBEscola Tournament, to be held from Mach 25 to March 28 in Barcelona.

Flan Gomes, Bevan Monteiro, Ayan Lall, Shanon Viegas and Samward Pereira were selected by FCBEscola Delhi NCR. Addressing a press conference, Sonia Pilai of Conscient Football, which is coordinating the selection process, said a team of nine young footballers will represent India in the International FCBEscola tournament. Apart from five players from Goa, there are three from Delhi NCR and one from Jaipur. The selected footballers will undergo extensive training of one week prior to their departure at the FCBEscola NCR facility in Gurgaon. The tournament will provide a chance for budding footballer to play against their peers from other FCBEscola teams in Peru, Japan, Brazil, South Korea, Dubai, Poland, Egypt and Spain among others, Pilai said. Started in 2012, the International FCBEscola Tournament is an annual competition for FCBEscola teams worldwide. Last year, there were 53 teams of various age groups representing nine countries. The tournament will be held in the Mini Estadi Facilities next to Camp Nou where players like Lionel Messi, Xavi started their careers. "With unrivalled passion for football that exists in India, the youth development programme will seek out talent and create a platform for footballers of tomorrow," Palai stated. PTI