JEDDAH – For the past two weeks 160 budding local football talents have been enjoying the time of their young lives at the Real Madrid Youth Training Camp, hosted in Jeddah by Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ), where they had the unique opportunity of being coached by a team of football professionals from the Real Madrid Youth Training Institution. For some, it could be a life changing experience that sets them on the road to a career as professional players. Commenting on the huge popularity of the youth initiative, Eng. Adel Ezzat, managing director of marketing at ALJ, said: “It has been a great pleasure to welcome the team of coaches from the Real Madrid Youth Training Institution and see them put our young local talents through their paces. "Equally, it was a joy to see the young players' keenness to benefit from world-class training by experts from one of the world's greatest football clubs. "Through this varied program full of fun, educational and innovative football activities, the youngsters have learned Real Madrid FC values such as leadership, fellowship, tolerance and participation, all qualities that will benefit them throughout their lives." The Real Madrid Youth Camp was held at Saudia Sports City in Jeddah for two weeks from Jan.16 to 31 where the young participants were divided into three age brackets: 7-9, 10-12 and 13-16. They were further divided into nine groups, each named after a Real Madrid first team player: Ronaldo, Alonso, Marcelo, Pepe, Modric, Ramos, Ozil, Casillas and Di Maria. The training focused on the four mainstays of the program: technical and tactical skills, physical and motor skills, health, and values education. ALJ celebrated the successful conclusion of the training program with a recognition ceremony held on Jan.31 at Saudia Sports City Club. All the young trainees were presented with certificates of participation, leading up to the highlight of the event which witnessed the announcement of five most promising young players who will be sent on an all-expenses paid trip to Spain. The five winners were selected from the categories: Best Attacker, Best Mid Fielder, Best Defender, Best Goal Keeper, Best Disciplined Player. As one of the Kingdom's leading companies, ALJ is committed to being a proactive member of the community and believes in supporting the Kingdom's youth by initiatives that develop their talents and challenge their ambitions to excel in their chosen field.– SG
