13th September, 2011
After three weeks of nationwide football activities, a total of 480 male and females youngsters, have been shortlisted for the zonal Airtel close camp in the ongoing Airtel Rising Stars U-17 Football Tournament in Nigeria.
The camp activities will hold simultaneously in eight zones across the country between today and tomorrow. The youngsters were selected after a rigorous three-day skill assessment exercise by the coordinating coaches.
The players were drilled using a three-way test parameter, game intelligence and physique techniques. The programme is sponsored by leading telecommunication service provider, Airtel Nigeria.
The Airtel closed camp will take place in Lagos, Owerri, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Gombe, Kanu, Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Jos.
Thirty boys and 30 girls emerged from each zone of the Airtel Open camp and are now required to slug it out at the closed camp .
The Airtel Open Camp, a preliminary stage of the Airtel Rising Stars Football programme was held between August and the first week of September across the country in selected centres.
About 6,000 youngsters registered for the programme. The country was divided into eight zones: Lagos 1 & 2, North East, North West, North Central, South West, South East, South South, with screening centres in the cities mentioned earlier.
—Daniels Ekugo