ENERGY DRINK maker Milo’s values-driven football program in tandem with globally renowned club FC Barcelona goes south for its second year as it holds its local invitational camp in Cebu City from Sept. 8 to 9.
“Road to Barcelona,” which had its first staging in 2017, aims to bring world-class opportunities to nourish ambitions and build a nation of champions through sports.
It is also anchored on Milo and Barca’s shared vision of seeing children live better lives through a more healthy and active lifestyle.
For this year, over 160 boys and girls ages 10 to 12 are set to participate in the world-class football camp where in the end selected players are given the chance to join a life-changing football experience in Spain, home of FC Barcelona, which counts as members top players Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique.
Participation in the invitational camp is free but done through nomination from coaches who will vouch for both their character and talent.
Assisting Milo in the conduct of the invitational camp are the Cebu Football Association (CFA), a regional body under the Philippine Football Federation, and two coaches from the FCB Youth Academy, FC Barcelona’s flagship youth development program.
An expert panel composed of PFF representatives and the FCB coaches will be in charge in shortlisting the seven deserving athletes who will fly to Spain, where one slot in the delegation will be all-expense paid by Milo Philippines.
The criteria set for the selection process are aligned with Milo and FC Barcelona’s thrust of pushing for Humility, Effort, Ambition, Respect, and Teamwork (HEART) in everything one does.
The players to be selected will be chosen based on the right mix of values (70%) and skill (30%).
Once in Barcelona, the Philippine delegation will join those coming from Australia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Jamaica, New Zealand, Panama, Singapore, Tahiti, Thailand and Vietnam in a nine-day training camp and ultimate experience in FC Barcelona’s home turf Camp Nou.
“Every kid dreams of becoming a champ. That is why the MILO-FCB Road to Barcelona Philippines Camp is back to provide kids the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to train with youth coaches from FC Barcelona. We’ve taken this year’s invitational camp to the Visayas to share the program with even more children in the region, because we believe that these experiences can encourage them to pursue their passion for the sport and nourish their ambitions,” said Wily de Ocampo, Nestle Philippines Inc. vice-president, at the launch of the second year of the program on Wednesday at Kidzania in Taguig City.
Part of a four-year tie-up between the group and FC Barcelona, Milo said it is all the more determined to see program succeed and reaffirmed its commitment to it.
“Milo is very excited and honored to continue its advocacy to get more kids into sports and help advance Philippine football with FC Barcelona. Our goal for this year is to further enrich ‘Road to Barcelona’ experience by reaching more Filipino kids and reinforcing the values that encourage more kids to dream big and become champions in life,” said Robbie De Vera, Milo Philippines consumer marketing manager.
The invitational camp this weekend happens at the Cebu City Sports Center. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
