Dwight Yorke teamed up with Indian football star Suni Chhetri on Tuesday to launch a talent hunt programme in India at Under-16 level, to be conducted with India’s leading telecommunications authority, Bharti Airtel, in association with Manchester United.
Chhetri is considered a modern day star in Asian football while Yorke was reportedly a hit as several recalled his heroic days with the Old Trafford club. Chhetri was also in Port-of-Spain last year for an international friendly with T&T.
“At my time, we did not have that many opportunities and with guys like Dwight (Yorke) motivating the youngsters, it is definitely going to be a great experience,” said Chhetri. Yorke mentioned that it would be fantastic for India to one day qualify for the World Cup.
“It is a great opportunity for the kids to excel in the sport of football. They will get an opportunity to see Manchester United from the close quarters. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.
When I started as a 16-year-old kid, the conditions were pretty much the same in my country, the facilities were horrendous. “You have to start from somewhere.
You will never get it right at the first attempt. But it is not a small initiative. It is going to be a long association, you get to start somewhere. There is always going to be a question mark, but we are here for five years.
To see India playing in the World Cup one day, that is going to be the dream and with the support from the AIFF and the government we will see Indian players playing at the top level,” Yorke insisted.
The Airtel Rising Stars scouting programme will cover 16 cities across India and pick 12 talented footballers to attend a week-long training camp at Old Trafford.