- September, 22 2011 -
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- Four aspiring young footballers chosen for the Digicel Academy from the first leg of the Digicel Kick Start Clinics 2011 in Haiti
Thursday, September 22nd 2011 – Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Digicel today officially announced the four aspiring young footballers who have secured a place in the Digicel Academy following the first leg of the Digicel Kick Start Clinics 2011 in Haiti under Head Coach and England and Liverpool football legend, John Barnes.
The four players – Jean Junot Valentin, Erickson Phédé, Jonathan Monplaisir and Gédéon Daniel – were selected from a group of 30 young Haitian footballers to secure a place in the Digicel Academy in Trinidad from November 1st to 7th.
At the Digicel Academy, they will join the selected footballers from the remaining six countries, where they will spend a week developing their skills and technical ability as well as learning valuable life skills such as personal discipline and commitment – under the leadership of top Barclays Premier League coaches from the Sunderland Academy, assisted by John Barnes.
Digicel Kick Start Clinics Head Coach, John Barnes, said; “As usual, the standard in Haiti was very high so it was a difficult decision to make as I could have chosen at least six boys. Therefore, the four boys chosen are at a very high technical and physical level and I look forward to seeing them progress even further in the Digicel Academy.”
Centre forward, Jean Junio Valentin, said; “These three days of the clinic were amazing; I did not think we could learn so much in so little time. I'm thrilled to have been selected and very excited to move ahead in this adventure that promises to be even more exciting.”
In addition, the first round of the ‘Digicel Kick Start Hot Shot’ competition took place and saw 15 year-old defender, Loussaint Sindy Loukens, score 50 points from 10 shots making him the leader in the regional competition. Following all seven Clinics, the top scorer will win a wild card place in the Digicel Academy.
The Digicel Academy will also host a ‘coach the coaches’ seminar in which coaches from across the region will get expert training from Sunderland AFC’s finest teachers.
The Digicel Kick Start Clinics programme officially kicked off on Sunday 18th September in Haiti before travelling on to Panama, New York, St. Kitts & Nevis, Grenada, Suriname, Jamaica and culminating in a week long training session at the Digicel Academy in Trinidad from Tuesday November 1st to Monday November 7th.
For more information, visit www.digicelfootball.com.
ENDS
| THE ROAD TO THE ACADEMY TIMELINE | |
| Country | John Barnes Clinic Dates |
| Haiti | Sunday 18th – Thursday 22nd September |
| Panama | Friday 23rd – Monday 26th September |
| New York | Tuesday 27th – Friday 30th September |
| St. Kitts & Nevis | Saturday 1st – Tuesday 4th October |
| Grenada | Wednesday 5th – Saturday 8th October |
| Suriname | Sunday 9th – Wednesday 12th October |
| Jamaica | Thursday 13th – Sunday 16th October |
| Trinidad | The Digicel Academy – Tuesday 1st – Monday 7th November |
ABOUT DIGICEL GROUP
After ten years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has 11.5 million customers across its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.
Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Cup. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team.
Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.
In 2004, Digicel developed Digicel Rising Stars – an annual talent show to support aspiring young music artists in the Caribbean. The show has spanned the Eastern Caribbean, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago ranking as one of the top-rated shows.
Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.
Visit www.digicelgroup.com for more information.
