Milo to send six football players to FC Barcelona
View(s):Intention to develop young athletes and football players in Sri Lanka
Announces All-Island U-12 Sri Lanka Schools Football Tournament organised by the Ministry of Education
Six young talented Sri Lankan football players will stand the chance to win an opportunity of a lifetime; attending an all-expense paid trip by Milo to a four-day football coaching camp run by FC Barcelona – the FC Barcelona Barça Academy (Soccer School). FC Barcelona is one of the leading professional football clubs in the world.
Milo’s aim is to nourish the ambitions of kids through their participation in sports, and encourage well rounded personalities. FC Barcelona prides itself on five principal values, namely: ‘Humility’, ‘Effort’, ‘Ambition’, ‘Respect’, and ‘Teamwork’. Building on these shared values, Milo and FC Barcelona formed a four-year global partnership to promote healthier lifestyles and the importance of physical activity to young people.
Together, they are developing a series of sports programmes to encourage more young people to take part in sports. Committed to developing school sports in Sri Lanka for more than three decades, Milo is leveraging this global agreement to help develop football in Sri Lanka as well as develop and inspire young football stars through its ‘Road to Barcelona’ initiative.
‘Road to Barcelona’ will kick-off with an All-Island Under-12 Sri Lanka Schools Football Tournament, organised by the Sri Lanka Schools’ Football Association under the patronage of the Ministry of Education. The tournament will be open to boys and girls born in 2007 and 2008. Over 250 girls’ teams and around 800 boys’ teams will take part in the tournament, bringing the total number of participants to 12,600 children.
Based on the skills and values demonstrated at the tournament, the best children will be shortlisted to attend a selection camp, where an expert panel of coaches will select the most deserving six players to train in the FC Barcelona – Barça Academy.
“Milo has always been about fuelling the winning spirit of talented athletes in Sri Lanka, and promoting a healthy, active lifestyle among school children. Over the last 30 years, we have been continually raising the bar in supporting school-level sports and nurturing young athletes, many of whom have gone on to represent the country internationally. We are proud to now offer young Sri Lankan athletes training and development opportunities at a global level,” Norman Kannangara, the Nestlé Vice President – Beverages stated.
Milo has been committed to developing school sports in the country for more than three decades. It has been a strong partner in the school sports arena, supporting different sports like rugby, swimming, netball, athletics, and hockey. The grand finale of the schools’ sports calendar is the Sri Lanka Schools Colours Awards, also supported by Milo, which honours the best sports stars in recognition of their performance. Current national cricket captain and Milo brand ambassador, Angelo Mathews, was a recipient of the Sri Lanka Schools Colours Awards for two consecutive years.
“As a leading food and beverage company in Sri Lanka, Nestlé is committed to making a difference in the lives of children in the country. Participating in sports and team activities is a great way for young people to learn the values of teamwork, leadership, fairness, effort, respect and confidence. By educating young people about the importance of sport, physical activity and a balanced diet, we are committed to build a better tomorrow for the next generation and continue in our efforts towards enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future,” Shivani Hegde, the Nestlé Managing Director said.
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