Jamshad MP to represent India at the 21st Arsenal International Soccer Festival

Image not recovered16 boys including Jamshad MP of Farok Higher Secondary School, Kozhikode will represent India at the 21st Arsenal International Soccer Festival that will be held at London in July 2011. The final 16 were selected from a group of 30 boys from across the country by coaches from English Premier League giants Arsenal FC as part of the Arsenal - Tata Tea Jaago Re Soccer Stars 2011.

The tournament was kicked-off on December 14, 2010 and was held across 15 cities in India - Mumbai, Akola, Bhubaneswar, Indore, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Varanasi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Goa, Gangtok and Shillong with each city having its own elimination rounds, culminating in national finals in Shillong in April 2011. Football legends Jamshid Nassiri (Ex Mohammedan.Sporting, East Bengal player and Ex - National Coach), Brahmanand Shankwalkar (Arjuna Awardee, Ex India Captain & Goalkeeper and Ex Salgaocar player) and Premnath Phillips (Ex India Defender, Ex East Bengal and Ex Mohammedan Sporting player from Kerala) were on the panel to find the talents from each cities.

The Kozhikode leg, the only selection held at Kerala, was held on February 13, 2011 at the EMS Corporation Stadium, Kozhikode. Farok Higher Secondary School came out as the champions of the event with Jamshad MP scoring the most number of goals in the tournament. Jamshad MP, along with Fanas Ali Ali of CMH School, Arapetta were chosen for the final coaching camp conducted by Arsenal coaches, Andrew Douglas and Jermaine Wynter along with Jamshid Nassiri, head scout of Image not recoveredATTJRSS. Lazim Ali of St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School, Kozhikode who was also chosen as the Most Skilful player in the AFC Youth Festival, Iran was the winner of the Skills Contest.

The 2011 campaign, which is the fourth edition of the Arsenal - Tata Tea Jaago Re Soccer Stars in India was attended by 7000 budding players between the ages of 10 and 15, from over 1000 schools across the country. This was the first time the tournament was held at north eastern states of Meghalaya and Sikkim.

Details of the Kozhikode Leg (February 13,2011):

Highest Goal Scorer: Jamshad MP (Farok Higher Secondary School)
Best Goal Keeper: Mohammed Shafi (CMH School, Arapetta)
Most Valuable Player: Arshad PT (St. Xaviers School)
Skill Contest Winner: Lazim Ali (St. Josephs School, Kozhikode)
Boys in the Final 30: Jamshad MP (Farok Higher Secondary School), Fanas Ali (CMH School, Arapetta)

The Final Indian 16 for the 21st Arsenal International Soccer Festival:

Lalruat Puia (New Delhi), Zotham Mawia (Chandigarh), Jamborki Lokai (Shillong), Mani Maran (Bangalore), Nim Dorjee Tamang (New Delhi), Gur Simrat Singh (Chandigarh), Santosh Kumar (Bangalore), Khusen Mangar (Gangtok), Jamshad MP (Kozhikode), Sushil Maithie (Shillong), Bibek Bhutia (Gangtok), Abhiraj Vikram Singh (New Delhi), Anuj Yadav (Chandigarh), Tshering Zangpo Tamang (Gangtok), Chester Paul Lyngdoh (Shillong), Niranjan Sardar (Bhubaneswar)

Photo Courtesy: Jaago Re Soccer Stars

From the archive. First published on footballkerala.com on Wednesday 1 June 2011, restored from the site's 2012 database. Text as originally published.