Three local under-17 footballers, Deno John, Jowan Sayers and Kyle Edwards have shown that they have what it takes to be international professional footballers.{{more}}
As a result of the trioâs skills on the football field, they earned themselves one weekâs placing at the Digicel Chelsea Academy in Barbados.
The three young footballers were chosen during the first ever local Digicel Chelsea Kick Start Clinic, which took place on Friday, April 26, at the Arnos Vale Sporting Complex.
John, Sayers and Edwards were among 30 youngsters vying for the top three available spots and a wild card position.
During the one-day session, the youngsters, who showed speed, agility, awareness and a positive attitude during the training session, were chosen to travel to Barbados for further training from October 21 to 26 this year.
The three youngsters will join 27 other players from throughout the Caribbean from countries such as Suriname, Trinidad, Haiti and Jamaica.
The Digicel Kick Start Clinics officially got underway on Monday April 8 in Trinidad and Tobago, where a coaching team made up of Chelseaâs International Development Officers Kane Cowburn, Andy Ottley and David Monk, who is head of delegation, began their search for the regionâs top football talent.
Monk said that the Vincentian youngsters now have the chance to be part of a âCaribbean All Star teamâ that will be chosen after the weekâs training in October and that team will play against the Barbados Under-17 team in a friendly encounter.
âWe are handpicking a Caribbean All Star Football Team and for St Vincent and the Grenadines to be involved, thatâs amazingâ, Monk said.
âAs a pioneering football club, we believe in creating sustainable development programmes across the region and this is evident with our continued support of the footballing structure in Barbados, which we now consider to be our hub in the regionâ, the Englishman added.
The Digicel kickstart programme has been around in the Caribbean for the last six years, but has only now come to SVG.
The wild card pick is Jadeja Ollivierre of Bequia.
Ollivierreâs name will be placed in a raffle later this year, along with nine other Caribbean youngsters.
The raffle will be drawn by a Chelsea FC player and the two youngsters whose names are pulled from the raffle will also journey to Barbados in October.
Dino John is from Layou, Jowan Sayers from Fairhall and Kyle Edwards from Barrouallie.
Monk stressed that they were impressed with the ability of their
choices, âso we feel justifiedâ¦they are good technical players, athletes and if they continue, it is much easier to turn an athlete into a footballer than a footballer into an athleteâ.
John, who was the first pick, is 16 years old and attends the Barrouallie Secondary School. He plays for the club Pyola in the central midfield position and said on Friday âI feel good and I am excitedâ.
Second pick Sayers is a fourth form St Vincent Grammar School (SVGS) student. He is 15 years old and a central midfield or left wing player and plays for System 3âs First Division Team.
âI feel good because I did not expect to get pickâ, he said.
Edwards is from Barrouallie and is also a student at the Barrouallie Secondary School.
He is a 16-year-old centre forward and plays for System 3.
âI feel real goodâ¦I am excited and I have high hopesâ.
The wild card Ollivierre is 15 years old and plays central midfield. He is a student at the Bequia Community High School and has been playing soccer for four years with Ghetto Boys. He also plays for the school team.
âI feel good but I did not expect to get pick because I didnât perform my bestâ, said Ollivierre.
Meanwhile, Digicelâs country manager to SVG, Sean Latty, explained that they partnered with Chelsea to get these youngsters from across the country to further their skills.
âA lot of you watch the professionals and when these coaches are done with you, you will achieve great thingsâ, said Latty, who asked the youngsters to be disciplined when competing against their peers.
âHave discipline, the respect you show will make a difference. You are an ambassador now, so play hard and train hard and focus on your game, because you have a chance to represent your country on different levelsâ, the Jamaican stressed.
Minister of Sports Cecil McKie, who was also present, said that he was delighted to have the Chelsea visit and he also commended Digicel for undertaking the initiative.
âI hope that you understand and recognize the opportunity that is being provided for you. Take it and give it your 100 per centâ, said McKie who added that SVG has always been a âpowerhouseâ in soccer and have beaten the best teams in the region without much preparation and facilities.
âThat is a reflection of the natural talent we have here, so I hope that the coaches see that natural talent and work with us. Digicel has indicated that they will continue and I hope that they continue to do the clinicâ, McKie said.
The clinics are also being held in other countries, including Grenada, St Kitts, St Lucia, Panama and Antigua.(AA)