THE finals of the first edition of the MTN Football Scholar Competition, which will witness the emergence of lucky beneficiaries of the youth development initiative, begins today at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. The MTN competition provides an opportunity for participants to combine active football with academics at the tertiary level under a scholarship scheme.The initiative, which took off in Lagos on the September 5, 2011, auditioned thousands of youths within the ages 16 to 20, in several cities, including Akure, Ado-Ekiti, Benin, Warri, Abeokuta and Lagos respectively, in a bid to discover talented young individuals, who can combine active football with academic excellence.Seventy-five students were selected from across the cities to take the Mock SAT Exams, out of which 35 qualified and proceeded to the three-weeks long academy, where they received intensive training in football and academics, before sitting for the final SAT Exams last November.General Manager, Consumer Marketing, Kola Oyeyemi says the MTN Football Scholar is a platform that provides Nigerian students scholarship opportunities to soccer-oriented universities in the United States and linkages with other international soccer academies.According to Mr Oyeyemi, 'The sponsorship is directly targeted at the youth segment, presenting vast opportunities for customer engagement with our value proposition offerings. Football remains one of the most impactful customer connection platforms that appeal and engage Nigerians across all walks of life.'The finalists will play some matches with some teams in Lagos today and tomorrow, in the presence of six foreign coaches from American universities, who arrived in Nigeria on Wednesday to monitor and select the best players based on skills, with focus on those who passed the SAT exams.Among the foreign coaches are Ryan McGonigle of Franklin and Marshall College, Andrew Brinkman of Kenyon College, Mike Battistle of Siena College and Kelvin May of the University of Connecticut.Matches will be played today between MTN 1 and BFR Academy from 9 am to 11:00 am, while MTN 2 versus Early Start Football Academy will kick-off from 11:30am to 1:30 pm.Tomorrow, MTN Best will trade tackle with Ikorodu LCDA Academy from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.There will also be musical performances by MTN Project Fame icons, as well as some rib-cracking comedy and cocktails to lively up the day, before the final selection and presentation of gifts.MTN Football Scholar is designed to discover, develop and encourage young talents who possess academic flair as well as football skills. This milestone opportunity is a tactical demonstration of what the MTN brand stands for, which is enriching lives, especially as the brand celebrates its 10th year anniversary this year.
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