JEDDAH — For the past two weeks 160 budding local football talents have been having the time of their young lives at the Real Madrid Youth Training Camp, hosted by Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ) here. The young guns had the unique opportunity of being coached by a team of football professionals from the Real Madrid Youth Training Institution. For some, it could be a life-changing experience that sets them on the road to a career as professional players. Commenting on the huge popularity of the youth initiative, Adel Ezzat, Managing Director of Marketing at ALJ, said: “It has been a great pleasure to welcome the team of coaches from the Real Madrid Youth Training Institution and see them put our young local talents through their paces. “Equally, it was a joy to see the young players' keenness to benefit from world-class training by experts. Through this varied program full of fun, educational and innovative football activities, the youngsters have learned Real Madrid FC values such as leadership, fellowship, tolerance and participation, all qualities that will benefit them throughout their lives.” The Real Madrid Youth Camp was held at Saudia Sports City in Jeddah from Jan. 16-31. The participants were divided into three age brackets — 7-9, 10-12 and 13-16, and formed into nine groups, each named after a Real Madrid first team player: Ronaldo, Alonso, Marcelo, Pepe, Modric, Ramos, Ozil, Casillas and Di Maria. The training focused on the four mainstays of the program: technical and tactical skills, physical and motor skills, health, and values education. ALJ celebrated the successful conclusion of the training with a recognition ceremony held on the last day of the camp at Saudia Sports City Club. All the trainees were presented with certificates of participation, leading up to the highlight of the event - the announcement of the five most promising young players who will be sent on an all-expenses-paid trip to Spain. The five winners were selected from the categories: Best Attacker, Best Midfielder, Best Defender, Best Goalkeeper, Best Disciplined Player. As one of the Kingdom's leading companies, Abdul Latif Jameel is committed to being a proactive member of the community and believes in supporting the Kingdom's youth by initiatives that develop their talents and challenge their ambitions to excel in their chosen field. — SG
