Students of the First Kick School of Soccer, Coimbatore, had taken part in the Mecup Football Tournament held at Barcelona. They had taken part in the ‘under 11’ and ‘under 13’ categories. The spirited boys though lost in the Knock out round had a lot to take back from the tournament. The team was back to the city, this afternoon.
Speaking to SimpliCity at the Coimbatore International Airport, Pranav, Captain of the Under 11 team said, 'The tournament took place in Menorca, an island in Barcelona. This island is home to 7 professional football grounds where the matches were played. It was a great learning experience for us. We return imbibing the impressive sportsmanship displayed by the professional players and with a greater understanding of the game”
“We were astounded by the discipline with which the professional players carried themselves. After the tournament we have newly founded insight on the nuances of the game such as ball passing and positioning” added Paran, Captain of the under 13 team. He is currently studying in the 8th grade at The Indian Public school.
One of the coaches Mr. Joy shared that, 'Thirty two players took part in the tournament of which 3 players were from Chennai and the rest from Coimbatore. Six coaches accompanied them. They played against Australia, Germany, Russia, Moscow and Spain. All of these teams were extremely competent'.
Coach Joy also added that, 'The boys are as skilled as any other team that took part in the tournament, the lack of infrastructure in our country holds them back. In order to succeed in international tournaments, the infrastructure must definitely be bettered.”
SimpliCity wishes these vehement sportsmen all the best in their future endeavors!