Milo to send five youths to Barcelona

Milo and Barcelona are at it again, making the dreams of young footballers from this country come through with all-expenses paid trips to Barcelona, Spain to see the Catalan giants play, tour the historic city and take part in a training camp at the famous Camp Nou stadium.

Last year, three TT youngsters went to Spain – Addae Pamponette, Dantaye Gilbert and Tau Lamsee.

This edition of the Milo Football Skills Tournament will see five footballers from the seven to 12 age group selected from three trials to be held in May and June.

The Milo Skills Tournament will kick off on May 19 in Mt Pleasant with a winner in the seven to 12 bracket selected. It shifts to the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain on May 26 for the second trial. The final trial will be held on June 2 at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva. From trials two and three, two winners will be selected in the seven to nine age group and two winners in the 10-12 grouping.

The Skills Tournament is being run by former England international and head coach of Football Factory, Terry Fenwick. Fenwick stressed that all participants will be treated fairly and judged solely on their performance.

He said the skills component this year has been expanded to include passing (long and short), control (left foot, right foot), dribbling, manipulating the football at pace and composure (an intense drill involving shooting).

Fenwick praised Nestle for taking their corporate social responsibility seriously and urged the participants to look after their bodies and live a healthy lifestyle.

Patricio Torres, Market Head, Nestle Anglo Dutch Caribbean Region, revealed his company has been doing business in this country since 1914 and enjoys a healthy relationship with its consumers.

He said Nestle and Barca have common values which the young footballers should try to emulate.

He said humility is important for footballers and hailed the leadership of former Barcelona captain Carlos Puyol who always implored his players to stay humble in victory. Like Barca, he said Nestle even though they are a big company, is always willing to learn something new.

He said Nestle and Barca both have ambition which is not a bad thing. He lamented, however, the lack of motivation displayed by Barcelona against Roma in the 2nd leg of their Champions League game on Tuesday which they lost 3-0. He said respect for the community, the consumer and opponents is also crucial.

Torres urged players to display their skills and push Nestle to invest even more and make it hard for them to select only five.

“We will not stop but continue to invest,” he declared.

Robin Cumberbatch, Business Executive Officer, Nestle, boasted Milo and Barcelona are both iconic brands around the world and are advocates for healthy lifestyles. He explained that the Milo Football Skills Tournament hopes to target 22 million children by 2030.

He told the youngsters present that being physically active can not only be fun but also rewarding as seen in Milo’s partnership with Barcelona.