Airtel Rising Stars: 12 Indian boys chosen to train at Manchester United Soccer School!

12 Indian Under-16 boys have been chosen from thousands who participated across the country in the Airtel Rising Stars program to train at the Manchester United Soccer Schools later this year.

Launched by Bharti Airtel in association with Manchester United, 'Airtel Rising Stars' is a rigorous scouting program that covered 16 cities across India and has chosen 12 talented footballers who get the chance-of-a-lifetime to attend a week long training camp with Manchester United Soccer Schools in Old Trafford, England.

Four goalkeepers and 48 field players were chosen from the three month-long talent hunt for a final coaching camp which was held over the last five days in Bangalore with the best 12 boys chosen to travel to Manchester with four boys on standbye in case of any injury, illness or passport/visa problems occur to any of the selected players.

The 52 shortlisted players were put through paces by four Manchester United coaches -- Michael McClean, Mick Bennett, Andrew Cunningham and Kevin O'Connell besides also getting inputs from former Manchester United captain and now the clubs global ambassador Bryan Robson.


12 Selected Boys

Mukul Mohindra (Goalkeeper, New Delhi), V.K. Afdal (Malappuram), Rushabh Dhere (Pune), Jijo (Kochi), Teja Pawan Kumar (Hyderabad), Russel Lyndoh (Shillong), Rahul (Kochi), Krishanu Santra (Kolkata), Ashish Sharma (Mumbai), Porus F. Shroff (Mumbai), Kartikeya Swarup (New Delhi), Remitri Thama (Shillong)

Four standbys
Mohammad Shafi (Goalkeeper, Calicut), Joel Fernandes (Goa), Jordan Fernandes (Pune), Akeraj Martins (Goa)