…As Participants Commend Organizers for Academy Initiative
The process of establishing the FC Barcelona-affiliated Bayelsa Starlet Academy, has begun in earnest with the commencement of an Under-19 Tournament/Screening programme, in Yenagoa.
A total of 70 players in the U-15 and U-19 categories are participating in the three-day exercise.
It will be recalled that last week, during the grand finale of the 2026 edition of Prosperity Cup, the Bayelsa State Government and FC Barcelona, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a football academy in the state with the State Commissioner for Sports Development, Dr. Daniel Igali, signing on behalf of the state government while the Technical Director, Barca Academy (Africa Project), Mr Bernat Villa Gorriz signed on behalf of the Spanish football giants.
The screening exercise, which will run from Wednesday, 13th through Friday, 16th of May, 2026 and held at the Samson Siasia Stadium, was supervised by former international, Edema Fuludu and other coaches.
The essence of the screening basically is to assemble players and groom them for the Bayelsa Starlets Academy.
One of the coaches handling the exercise, Dimie Ineididie, said he was impressed with the turn out of players for the exercise, expressing confidence that quality players would be assembled at the end of the programme.
He noted that the exercise reflects the sincerity and the commitment of the organizers to establishing the Bayelsa Starlet Academy, maintaining that the academy would give more youths in the State the avenue to earn a living through football.
According to him, he has spotted raw talents that are marketable and desirous of being in the academy, pointing out that more players would join the exercise on Thursday 14th May, 2026.
Some of the participants, Desmond Godwin, Tavie Abraham and David Abraham, said the exercise would provide them the opportunity to showcase their potential, describing the exercise as a huge opportunity to their careers.
The programme continues on Thursday, 14th May, 2026 at the Samson Siasia Stadium immediately after the weekly Prosperity Walk.
