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Allianz camp final trials in Kochi

KOCHI: The chance to meet some of Germany's FIFA World Cup stars has sent children running in droves for the Allianz junior football camp trials all over Kerala.

The trials are being held in three stages and nearly 10,000 children from over 60 schools in the State were in action in the first phase, said Suresh Sreedharan, the Senior Regional Manager of Bajaj Allianz which is conducting the trials, at a media meet here on Wednesday evening.

The final trials to select the lone Kerala player for the Allianz camp in Munich will be held in Kochi on September 18 and nearly 50 children are expected to play a series of matches to showcase their talent.

Allianz, an official partner of FC Bayern Munich, is hosting the second international camp and six children between 14 and 16 years from all over the country, including three from Bengal and one from Goa, will travel to Munich for the five-day camp in mid-October. One teenager will be selected through an online contest but the player will have to attend the final trials, said Sreedharan.

During the camp, the youngsters will practise with Bayern Munich coaches at the club's official training ground, attend a match at the Allianz Arena, play a five-on-five tournament and meet some of the club's stars like Miroslav Klose, Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller.

Sreedharan also said that if Allianz is happy with the response and the quality on show, it could play a bigger role in promoting football at the grassroots level in the country.

Former internationals C.C. Jacob and Victor Manjila said the camp will nurture young talent in a big way. — Special Correspondent

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