Allianz Philippines’ Gae Martinez (right) and the three lucky Filipino children who experienced football the FC Bayern way.
Three young Filipino players recently experienced world-class football in Munich when it trained with FC Bayern as part of the 11th Allianz Explorer Camp.
Marian Vista of Tuloy Sa Don Bosco Foundation in Luzon, Ralf Andre Ebuna of Corpus Christi FC in Mindanao and Jodi Mari Banzon of Cebu Elite FC in the Visayas were with teenagers, aged 14 to 16 years old, from 22 other countries.
The program formerly known as Allianz Junior Football Camp is part of a global initiative to bring together football fans from around the world and promote intercultural exchange.
Participants trained at Säbener Strasse with Bayern legend Klaus Augenthaler officiating a number of their games. In their finals match, Bayern pro Thiago Alcantara oversaw the proceedings.
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The players also listened to the insights of pro surfer Valeska Schneider; Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardini, who competed for the refugee team in the 2016 Summer Olympics; National Graphic Explorer’s Dan Raven-Ellison; and Felix Finkbeiner, founder of the Plant for the Planet initiative. They then explored the attractions around the German city.
“The most memorable moments were meeting different people from different countries. It was fun to meet new people,” said 16-year-old Ebuna, who started playing football when he was eight.
Ebuna advised children to chase their dreams.
“They should grab the opportunity if they can and remember to always have fun when playing football,” Ebuna said.
Banzon, 13 said she learned valuable lessons while in Munich.
“How to fulfill my dream, where to find my courage, what is my purpose and how I can communicate with other people from other places,” Banzon said.
FC Bayern beat Cologne on Saturday, 4-1, to remain undefeated after five matches since drawing 1-1 with RB Leipzig last weekend.
It is running second (11 points) behind Leipzig (13), who won 3-0 at Werder Bremen also on Saturday.
“Allianz has always been a staunch advocate of football development from the grassroots level. We want to discover talents from different areas across the country and give them the opportunity to excel on the world stage,” said Allianz Philippines chief marketing officer Gae Martinez, who accompanied the Filipinos to Germany.
