After almost two months of travelling around the country, Globe Telecom finally picked 12 of the best young aspiring football players, including three (3) Negrenses, to represent the Philippines in the prestigious Astro Kem Bola Advanced Training Programme in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on September 13-17, 2016.
For the boys division, two (2) Negrenses were picked, Leoven Jay Gatungay of San Carlos City and Lance Lawrence Locsin of Bacolod City. They will be joined by Martin Joshua Meriño, Biñan, Laguna; Jared Alexander Peña and Ryan Philip Johansson both from Metro Manila and Roniel Vincent Delumpines from Isabela City, Basilan.
For the girls division, Mikaela Jacqueline Villacin from Bacolod City was picked together with Jasmine Casandra Agustin and Isabelle Renee Taojo from Davao City; and Astrid Heiress Ignacio, Stella Maria Divino, and Ysabella Samonte from Metro Manila.
The TM Football Para Sa Bayan which is now on its fourth year, was tapped by Astro Kasih, the corporate foundation and corporate social responsibility arm of Malaysian media and entertainment powerhouse Astro, to be its partner in discovering talented kids and helping them further harness their craft. This is in line with Globe Telecom’s sports advocacy which aims to uplift the lives of the youth especially those from the marginalized sector and provide them with a platform to showcase their talents.
The kids aged 10-12 were scouted from some 600 young athletes who participated in the TM football clinics held in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo; Talisay City, Negros Occidental; Davao City; and Metro Manila. They will compete with their counterparts from Singapore and Malaysia to get a chance to fly to Europe for two weeks of all-expense paid professional football training in December this year.