Sport

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

Two Jamaican youngsters, Martin Davis and Kaya Beckford, have been granted the opportunity of a lifetime as they will be leaving for Valencia, Spain, today to train with Valencia Foundation coaches at the academy's summer training camp, which will be held from July 11-17.

The teenagers are two of four local youngsters who emerged as the top performers from among the 120 participants at the Valencia Next Generation Football Camp, which was held at Sabina Park in April.

The other two scholarship recipients will take up their offers at a later date, camp coordinator Victor Salazar-Chang said at a special send-off function for the Valencia Camp Scholarship awardees yesterday.

"We actually selected four best players from the camp; Nicole Broderick was the best female and you also have Zhelano Barnes," said Salazar-Chang. "For Nicole Broderick, we are waiting on Valencia to tell us when they are going to do a female-specific camp, which will hopefully be in September or December. Zhelano Barnes had some visa problems with the US Embassy so that is why he wasn't able to go this time, but his space is being held," he added.

Davis and Beckford, who will be departing the island today, are slated to arrive in Spain on Saturday before commencing training on Sunday with the Valencia FC coaches and scouts, returning home next week Saturday.

"It is a short exposure but I think it is a good start for later on to have larger tenures of exposure in camps like these," said Salazar-Chang. "It is going to be a six-day camp, with morning and afternoon sessions. They will gain from having many scouts looking at them and also interacting with other boys from Spain," he added.

An amazing feeling

Chairman of the Jamaica Football Federation's (JFF's) technical committee, Howard McIntosh, was delighted at the exposure the youngsters were getting.

"I am really happy that something that was promised, something that was planned, has actually been executed and delivered," said McIntosh.

For the two teenagers, the opportunity could not have come at a better time as they are both looking forward to the celebrations in Spain on Sunday, following what they hope will be a victory for Spain in the World Cup final.

Beckford, a 15-year-old Glenmuir High student, found words hard to come by to describe his emotions.

"It is an amazing feeling, it is hard to describe knowing that we got this opportunity out of hundreds of some of the best players all around Jamaica," said Beckford. "I am really looking forward to the celebrations on Sunday when Spain wins," he added.

Davis, 13, a student of St George's College, is aiming to make full use of the opportunity.

"I am very excited, just looking forward to taking my chance and doing the best I can," he said. "I am looking forward to celebrating when Spain wins on Sunday," he added.

Spanish Ambassador to Jamaica, Jesus Silva, hopes this will chart the way for more Spanish clubs to invest in Jamaica's football.

Silva said: "I think they are going to be good representatives for Jamaica and, hopefully, this will cause other football clubs in Spain to start looking more in Jamaica and start to assist here with training, and also chose some of the players for the Spanish league."