Over 1500 students participated from 50 schools in the city. Selected 15 students to proceed to Pune for the final round

July 16, 2012 /India PRwire/ -- Bajaj Allianz held the city finale for the Mumbai edition of the third season of the Junior Football Camp (JFC) yesterday at MSSA Azaad Maidan. The city finale saw participation from 115 shortlisted students, who were selected on the basis of their football skills during the school level screenings held earlier this month. Additionally, open trials were also conducted to allow interested students to participate and qualify for the finale. The finale saw an esteemed panel of judges that was headed by Alex Ambrose, former Indian international striker.

More than 1500 students from 50 schools have been screened in Mumbai as part of this activity. The final 15 selected at the city finale will go to Pune to represent Mumbai in the national finals to be held later this month.

The winners were felicitated by Sebastian Fernandez, Hon General Secretary, Mumbai Sports School Association (MSSA); Joseph Monterio, Hon Treasurer, MSSA and Alex Ambrose, former Indian international striker.

The final 15 from Mumbai will compete against finalists from six other cities, namely Chandigarh, Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Kerala in the national finals. Three most promising players from Mumbai will also be given cash prizes worth Rs. 50,000, Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 15,000 respectively.

Commenting on this initiative, Parag Timbadia, Divisional Manager, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance says, "We are overwhelmed with the football talent and the enthusiasm for the sport in Mumbai. We believe in providing a platform to spot and encourage budding talent in the field of football. I thoroughly enjoyed the match played today as a part of the selection finale. I'm sure that these talented finalists will benefit immensely from the advice they have received from their coaches and the judges present at today's finale."

Alex Ambrose, Jury Member, JFC says "We are happy that Bajaj Allianz has offered this opportunity for youngsters to showcase their passion for football. Today's match reconfirmed the fact that there is immense talent for football in this region. The exposure at the Allianz Junior Football Camp will give them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that they should make the most of, especially those looking to pursue football at a professional level. I would like to wish them all the best for the national finals to be held in Pune."

Bajaj Allianz has launched the selection process for its annual Junior Football Camp (JFC) for the third consecutive year. This year, five teenagers will be selected from 120 cities in India, from over 700 schools for the international football camp to be held in Munich, Germany in August 2012. On their return, the five youngsters would receive training scholarships under the Youth Development Program of India's National Club - Mohun Bagan. In addition to this, promising players will be rewarded with cash prizes, worth a total of Rs. 7.20 lakhs across the selection process.

The Junior Football Camp is organized in association with Allianz, the official partner of FC Bayern Munich. The camp will be held in Munich, Germany in August 2012 and will give teenagers, from across the world between the ages of 14-16 years, the opportunity to meet and train with the legendary FC Bayern Munich coaches on the club's official training ground. They would also get a chance to attend a match at Allianz Arena, the unique football stadium and meet football stars from FC Bayern Munich like Thomas Mueller, Bastian Schweinsteiger and others.

The final 15 selected from Mumbai for the National Finals of Junior Football Camp are:

1. Akash Chandar Rathod
2. Anees-ur-Rehman
3. Atwarua Kapse
4. Venkatesh Iyer
5. Aditya.N.Gidwani
6. Varshil Khakhar
7. Ansari Uzair
8. Shubendu das
9. Sonu Gupta

10. Tarun Ludhwani

11. Sohail Khatri

12. Nikhil Ravt

13. Simran Gurudatta

14. Jay Sahani

15. Ansari Mohd. Arafat mohd- Aqeel

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Notes to Editor

About Bajaj Allianz

Bajaj Allianz is one of the leading Private Sector life & general insurance companies in India. Bajaj Allianz is a union between Allianz SE, the world's leading insurer and Bajaj Finserv Limited (recently demerged from Bajaj Auto Limited, one of India's most respected names). Allianz SE is a leading insurance conglomerate globally and one of the largest asset managers in the world, managing assets worth over a Trillion Euros (over Rs. 55, 00,000 crores). At Bajaj Allianz, customer delight is our guiding principle. Ensuring world class solutions by offering you customized products with transparent benefits supported by the best technology is our business philosophy. Bajaj Allianz began its operations in 2001 and today has a pan-India presence with over with offices and presence in over 1100+ towns in the country. The companies have been constantly expanding its operations to be close to their customers.

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