5 kids from AIA Singapore-Spurs Elite Football Camp get trip of a lifetime
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AIA Singapore–Spurs Elite Football Camp player Judah Koh taking on Hykel Morris at Tottenham Hotspur's training ground in Enfield, London.
PHOTO: AIA SINGAPORE
- AIA sent five young Singaporean footballers to London to watch Tottenham play Bournemouth in the Premier League.
- The players met Spurs first-team members like Archie Gray, Mohammed Kudus and Guglielmo Vicario, who surprised them and trained with the youngsters.
- The trip inspired the young players, including Hallie and Hykel, to pursue their footballing dreams.
AI generated
LONDON – On a trip of a lifetime to Tottenham Hotspur, five children from the AIA Singapore-Spurs Elite Football Camp received a special surprise in London on Aug 28, when they got to meet first-team players from the English Premier League club.
Hallie Marshanda Izwan, Gautham Sivakkumaar, Hykel Morris, Judah Koh and Ryan Ameer were selected from a group of 21 youngsters who went to the camp in Koh Samui, Thailand, in June.
The four-day trip saw them travelling to London to catch the Spurs first team at the club’s training ground in Enfield, where they got their jerseys signed by the players. On Aug 30, they also watched the English Premier League game between Thomas Frank’s side and Bournemouth at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
There was also a surprise in store for them during their AIA content shoot.
Initially they were told that academy players would be joining them for some drills, but four first-team players – midfielders Archie Gray and Mohammed Kudus, defender Kevin Danso and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario – showed up instead.
Spurs Elite Camp kids doing a content shoot with several Tottenham Hotspur first-team players at the club’s training ground in Enfield, London.
PHOTO: AIA SINGAPORE
When asked about his favourite moment of the trip, Gautham, 14, said: “The surprise of the players when they came for our training... Because everybody was telling me that it would be just academy players.
“I didn’t know when they came and (Vicario) put his hand around my shoulder. I looked up and I was like, really, really, shocked – my jaw dropped to the floor already. And I felt like the training was very good and very fun.”
Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario surprising Gautham Sivakkumaar before their content shoot with AIA at the club’s training ground in Enfield, London.
PHOTO: AIA SINGAPORE
It was also especially memorable for Hykel, 15, as he plays as a goalkeeper for the Under-15 team of Singapore Premier League club Tanjong Pagar United and as a centre-back for his school Swiss Cottage Secondary.
“It was a really amazing experience getting to talk to an EPL ’keeper,” said the Secondary 3 student.
“I really look up to him when he is playing at Spurs and the most recent games where he was amazing, all the saves he made.
“After the shooting drill, he said I was a good ’keeper and told me to keep it up and not to give up.”
It had been a fruitful year for Hykel as he helped his school claim the National School Games B Division League 2 title in May.
Hykel had to step up to play in defence as his school had trouble getting players to fill the position.
As he towers over his peers at 1.80m, Hykel was the obvious choice. He said: “Most of the players were either goalkeepers, midfielders or strikers.
“So my coach gave me the opportunity to play as a centre-back and I think he really enjoyed the way I played.”
The dream for Hykel is to play for the national team.
Hykel, who is a Singaporean and lives in Johor Bahru, begins his day at 5.45am and travels across the border daily for school and training, before going home at 8pm.
He added: “If I get to wear the jersey with the badge, having to sing the national anthem in front of all the fans, that’s definitely my end goal for my football career.”
Another player who has lofty ambitions is Hallie, who was the only girl on the trip and one of two female players who were selected for the camp.
The 13-year-old, who plays as a winger for the Lion City Sailors U-14 team, was invited by her friend to an AIA-Spurs football clinic. There, she caught the eye of several Tottenham coaches and was invited to the camp.
When asked about her experience, she said: “I felt really nervous, because boys have a different physicality as well, so I found it difficult to play against them.
“But after some time, I adapted to it and I managed to beat some of them. Boys always think girls cannot play football, but I (proved them wrong).”
She hopes to follow in the footsteps of fellow Sailors’ player Nur Ain Salleh, who received the Unleash The Roar! overseas football scholarship
The writer’s trip is hosted by AIA Singapore.
