United We Play trials held in Guwahati, dribble into young footballers’ hearts

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 9, 2024

The trials for United We Play (UWP), the flagship grassroots football programme of leading tyre maker Apollo Tyres, were conducted in Guwahati where close to 250 young footballers participated with great enthusiasm. 

In the end, 30 talented youngsters from the trials were shortlisted for the next round of the programme.

The trials were held at the Faculty Higher Secondary School where young hopefuls from Guwahati and neighbouring areas in the Under-14 and Under-17 categories turned up in large numbers to display their skills and impress the judges.

The United We Play programme is a grassroots training and talent development initiative going across 16 cities in India and key countries in Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa (APMEA), supported by Manchester United to encourage young football talent and give them a platform to showcase their skills to motivate aspiring footballers to continue playing and introducing them to global training methodologies.

The fourth edition, which was kickstarted in the presence of former Manchester United and French footballer Louis Saha in Kolkata earlier, promises to be much bigger and better with a year-round programme, reaching over 25,000 young footballers across the country.

Over the last few months, the programme has already connected over 600 coaches across the country with Manchester United Soccer Schools, where they have received exclusive training and access to the Manchester United curriculum and certificates. MUSS is also conducting 4 digital masterclasses with over 2000+ players already engaged through this. 

The initial phase of the fourth edition of United We Play will be run by domestic coaches before young footballers get a chance to impress coaches from the Manchester United Soccer School (MUSS). The best performers from across locations will participate in the grand finale of the competition, and winners will get a trip to Manchester, with several experiential activities at Old Trafford and Carrington at Manchester United including a matchday experience, training with the academy team, interaction with the legends and much more.

Louis Saha, while officially kickstarting the activities for the fourth season of United We Play programme, had earlier said during the launch at Kolkata, “I am honoured to have been invited by Apollo Tyres to help launch the fourth season of United We Play. 

This is a huge opportunity for any up-and-coming footballer, and I would like to thank Apollo Tyres for creating this fantastic opportunity to inspire and develop the next generation of youth footballers. Participants will not only learn to play the Manchester United way but also pick up valuable life skills, such as teamwork, discipline and determination, which will go on to help them in the future.”

The first three seasons were a massive success and received an overwhelming response with over 16,000 players from the country participating in the programme comprising on-ground trials, masterclasses and workshops. The last season saw 7 young footballers, including 4 from India, get a lifetime opportunity to visit Old Trafford to participate in exciting activities like a match-day experience, a training session with Manchester United Soccer School coaches, and a chance to interact with the Club’s Legends.