Three Pinoys partake of Allianz football camp

From L-R: FC Bayern International Coach Thomas Döllner, James Carl Tuazon, Keanne Maicah Alamo, FC Bayern Official Mascot Berni, Fred Angelo dela Peña, and FC Bayern legend and former Croatian international Ivica Olic

43 lucky teenage footballers from across Asia recently got the chance to learn and develop their skills at The Arena in Singapore during The Allianz Explorer Camp Football Edition Asia 2019.

These kids aged between 14-16 were considered as the standouts of their respective qualifiers that took place in China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. They had the privilege to be trained over four days under the tutleage of FC Bayern Munich ambassador and former Croatian international Ivica Olic.

The camp and the presence of the German champions is in line with their long-term partnership, one that has been in place since 2000 and enhanced by the presence of their home stadium, the Allianz Arena, since 2005.

For the Philippines, the two boys and a girl that were selected for this camp came from the Allianz National Youth Futsal Invitational, which took place at various location across the country a few months ago. Fred Angelo dela Pena came via Dipolog, James Tuazon is a product of Central Philippines University in Iloilo, while Keanne Alamo is a youth standout who represented the country in the AFC Under-16 Girls Qualifiers last year. 

Outstanding participants from this Explorer Camp will be given the opportunity to represent Asia at the Allianz Global Football Camp in Munich. The chosen eighteen will get to experience training sessions with the FC Bayern Munich youth coaches and potentially have an opportunity to meet select first team players.

Considered as part of the Allianz Global Explorer Program, the camp is designed to empower promising Generation Z youngsters through exposure to football-focused fitness workshops, footwork techniques, technical and tactical skills, and competitive play.

Allianz Asia-Pacific Head of Market Management Center of Excellence Gino Riola shares, "We are proud to play our part in creating an environment for young children across Asia to learn new skills, explore new places, and collaborate with new friends.  Our Allianz regional initiative provides a great foundation for youngsters to enhance their football and team building talents, while gaining new skills and experiences with the technologies of the future.  It goes without saying that the future is bright for the young participants and we look forward to watching them grow."

With Allianz serving as a global sponsor for the Drone Racing League with the Allianz World Championship Season, the camp also features drone racing as part of the global financial services provider's thrust towards embracing future technologies. Three-time world champion Dunkan Bossion will be demonstrating why he is one of the best in his field, and will oversee a hands-on drone-making workshop that would expose the participants to advanced technology.

The Explorer Camp also included presentations on the final day, for high achievers who showed outstanding performance across the four days.