Ferwafa raises the bar for Academy entry

Transparency and skills examination will be the main concern in the selection for the long awaited Ferwafa academy students which kicked off yesterday. Ferwafa’s Chief Executive Officer Jules Kalisa told Times Sport that 110 kids who were drawn from all Provinces in Rwanda started final selection yesterday at Ferwafa grounds. The federation has started final selection of youngsters who will constitute the national soccer academy which is set to start its operations mid this year. “The selection which will climax on Saturday will see the number trimmed to 30 who will make it into the Fifa supported academy,” Kalisa said. The players were drawn from a plentiful of talent in the country and the final 30 players will be groomed to represent the country at future competitions. The three-day event has attracted experts in talent search namely; Fifa Senior Manager in Africa’s Development Programmes, Cyril Loisel, Fifa Development Programme Officer Urs Kraluser and regional development officer Jean Manja Ounjene. Early this year, Fifa recommended the Ferwafa academy to start its operations after all required necessities were met. Loisel made the announcement after inspecting the facility, saying that the national technical centre is ready to start with the development of youth football in the country. “The technical centre is in good shape and everything is in place for it to go operational,” Fifa also approved the disbursement of $ 400,000 to the local football house, Ferwafa as part of the Goal Project III. According to Loisel, the money will be used in developing the technical centre for the duration of three years. The football academy which has taken long to start its operation was inaugurated by Fifa boss Sepp Joseph Blatter in 2005. The new soccer complex that serves both as the academy and headquarters of Rwanda’s football federation was financed by Fifa at a tune of $679,000 to include buildings and equipments installed. The soccer academy is the first of its nature in the country and will equip younger players with theoretical and physical techniques in football to supplement-on efforts made by local clubs. Rwanda has been one of the numerous beneficiaries of Fifa’s $70 million on projects to improve African soccer as the continent prepares to host the 2010 World Cup finals. Last year, Ferwafa got a Fifa grant under the Goal project worth $400,000 to construct an artificial turf which will help the football academy conduct its operations in Remera. Ends

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Ferwafa raises the bar for Academy entry