Arsenal pick 16 boys for training in UK

KOLKATA: Sixteen under-15 boys were selected on Wednesday by Arsenal coaches for a two-weeks training stint in Surrey, England.

They will be trained during the Arsenal International Soccer Festival in which under-15 boys from six other countries -- England, the USA, Denmark, Canada, Greece and South Africa -- will also take part.

The 16 boys -- six from Kolkata, three from Bangalore, two each from Mumbai, New Delhi and Goa, and one from Shillong -- have been picked from an initial pool of 5,000.

Besides being trained, they will also participate in the festival as a team christened Tata Tea Arsenal Soccer Stars.

The squad was picked by Paul Shipwright who is the head of Arsenal Soccer School, and Martin Davis, football development officer of the premier club, after a training at the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club (CC&FC) here.

Shipwright said they had shortlisted 31 from the initial pool for a nine days training at the Kolkata club and then the final 15 were picked.

Shipwright said he did not see any major difference in the boys from India and that of the ones at the Arsenal Soccer School in England.

"I see the difference only in the style of coaching. Otherwise I'm really impressed with the boys willingness to learn, their team work, and their work ethics. If we find any outstanding talent after the training in Surrey, we might give them recognition," Shipwright said.

The trainees to be sent to Surrey:

Goalkeepers: Avijit De (ASC School, Bangalore), Arindam Mitra (Basudevpur Pally Hitashdhani High School, Kolkata)

Defenders: S Kiran Kumar (St Angels English High School, Bangalore), Shane Anthony Temodo (St Britto High School, Goa), Sumit Das (Shyambazar AV School, Kolkata), Rickin Dang (Don Bosco, Mumbai), Mario Bacchus Lobo (St Josephs High School, Goa)

Mid-fielders: Daniel Lalhrwaitlwanga (The Air Force School, New Delhi), Jitu Das (Basudevpur Pally Hitashdhani High School, Kolkata), Siddharth Singh (Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai), Yan Cheng Law (La Martiniere School for Boys, Kolkata), Md jaffar Ali (Basudevpur Pally Hitashdhani High School, Kolkata)

Stirkers: Ajay Gujral (The Shri Ram School, New Delhi), R Deepak (St Angels English High School, Bangalore), Jessammy Clivensn Tariang (St Edmunds, Shillong), Karim Mistry (St Lawrence High School, Kolkata).