Shankar P. Ghanais went from never having left the country to making trips to Bali, Indonesia and now Munich, Germany in the span of just 36 days.
The 16-year-old is one of three Malaysians who will represent the country at the Allianz Junior Football Camp (AJFC) 2016 in Munich, Germany from 25 to 30 August 2016.
Shankar, along with Sharvin Selvakumaran (16) and Ruventhiran Vengadesen (15) were selected from 13 Malaysian talents to represent the country following a selection process at AJFC Asia 2016 (19 -22 July 2016).
“When I got home from Bali, everyone was in tears, my mom, my brother. They knew how much this meant to me. Now, I can’t wait to see the Allianz Arena. I’ve seen it on TV so I’m very excited I get to visit the stadium in person. Growing up in Malacca, the only other stadium I’ve seen is Stadium Hang Jebat. So, this is going to be awesome,” said the Form Four student from SMK Seri Pengkalan in Alor Gajah, Malacca.
Having never had a passport, the experience of travelling overseas to Bali, Indonesia for the AJFC Asia 2016 was a daunting one. A short bout of homesickness was cured when he got onto the football field. Now, Shankar is buzzing with excitement and hopes to make the most of his experience in Munich.
“I’m really excited. I still go for my daily training for three to five hours. Football is in my blood, so I’m looking forward to the experience and meeting other young footballers like myself at Munich. We may come from different backgrounds but we speak the universal language of football, so we’ll have no trouble communicating,” added the striker who comes from a football-loving family where his dad and two older brothers also play the sport.
AJFC Munich 2016 will feature 80 young footballers aged 14 to 16-years-old from all over the world including countries such as Argentina, England, Germany, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and more. During the camp, the young footballers will participate in daily training sessions which will culminate in a tournament on 29 August 2016.
Part of the festivities at AJFC Munich includes get-together activities, watching FC Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga opening match at the Allianz Arena, a meet and greet session with some of FC Bayern Munich players and a visit to the historic Olympic Park.
AJFC is an annual football event held globally since 2009 with AJFC Malaysia debuting in 2012 followed by AJFC Asia in 2014. In five editions, 4, 185 young aspiring footballers have tried out at AJFC Malaysia.
The AJFC Malaysia League 2016 was officially launched in Kuala Lumpur on 16 February 2016. Teams of 18 players aged between 14 to 16 year olds participated in the six-week league which kicked off on 2 April 2016.
The latest AJFC Munich 2016 updates, photos and videos can be found on Allianz Malaysia’s Facebook page at facebook.com/AllianzMalaysia or Instagram page at instagram.com/allianzmalaysia/
Pengalaman hidup baru bagi Shankar yang akan beraksi di AJFC Munich
Shankar P. Ghanais yang tidak pernah menyangka akan meninggalkan bumi Malaysia telahpun membuat lawatan ke Bali, Indonesia dan kini akan ke Munich, Jerman dalam masa 36 hari.
Pemain berusia 16 tahun ini adalah salah satu daripada tiga rakyat Malaysia yang akan mewakili negara di Kem Allianz Junior Football (AJFC) 2016 di Munich, Jerman pada 25-30 Ogos 2016.
Shankar, bersama-sama dengan Sharvin Selvakumaran (16) dan Ruventhiran Vengadesen ( 15) telah dipilih daripada 13 pemain Malaysia yang berbakat untuk mewakili negara menerusi proses pemilihan di AJFC Asia 2016 (19 -22 Julai 2016).
“Apabila saya kembali dari Bali, semua orang menitiskan airmata terutama ibu dan abang saya. Mereka tahu betapa bermaknanya semua ini kepada saya. Sekarang, saya tidak sabar menunggu untuk melihat Allianz Arena. Selalunya saya hanya dapat melihat di televisyen jadi saya sangat teruja kerana berpeluang melawat stadium itu sendiri. Membesar di Melaka, stadium lain yang saya pernah lihat adalah Stadium Hang Jebat. Jadi, ini adalah sesuatu yang sungguh hebat, “kata pelajar Tingkatan Empat dari SMK Seri Pengkalan, Alor Gajah, Melaka.
Tidak pernah memiliki passport sebelum ini, pengalaman Shankar apabila melancong ke luar negara ke Bali, Indonesia untuk AJFC Asia 2016 adalah salah satu perkara yang tidak mudah.
Perasaan rindu telah terubat apabila dia berpeluang ke padang bola sepak semula. Sekarang, Shankar agak sibuk dan gembira serta berharap dapat menempuhi sebahagian besar pengalaman di Munich.
“Saya benar-benar teruja. Saya masih menjalani latihan harian saya selama tiga hingga lima jam. Bola sepak adalah sebati dalam darah saya, jadi saya tidak sabar untuk melalui pengalaman dan memenuhi impian pemain muda lain seperti diri saya di Munich. Kami datang dari latar belakang yang berbeza tetapi kita bercakap dalam bahasa bola sepak sejagat, jadi kita tidak akan menghadapi masalah untuk berkomunikasi, “kata penyerang itu yang datang daripada keluarga yang mencintai bola sepak dimana ayah dan dua orang adik-beradik yang lebih tua juga turut bermain dalam sukan ini.
AJFC Munich 2016 akan menampilkan 80 pemain bola sepak muda yang berumur 14 hingga 16 tahun dari seluruh dunia termasuk negara-negara seperti Argentina, England, Jerman, Mexico, Arab Saudi dan banyak lagi.
Sepanjang kem itu, pemain bola sepak muda akan mengambil bahagian dalam sesi latihan harian yang akan berakhir menerusi kejohanan pada 29 Ogos 2016. Sebahagian daripada yang menarik di AJFC Munich termasuk aktiviti bersama, menonton perlawanan pembukaan Bundesliga FC Bayern Munich di Allianz Arena, sesi bertemu dan bersalaman dengan beberapa pemain FC Bayern Munich serta lawatan ke tempat bersejarah, Olympic Park.
AJFC is an annual football event held globally since 2009 with AJFC Malaysia debuting in 2012 followed by AJFC Asia in 2014. In five editions, 4, 185 young aspiring footballers have tried out at AJFC Malaysia.
The AJFC Malaysia League 2016 was officially launched in Kuala Lumpur on 16 February 2016. Teams of 18 players aged between 14 to 16 year olds participated in the six-week league which kicked off on 2 April 2016.
AJFC Liga Malaysia 2016 telah dilancarkan secara rasmi di Kuala Lumpur pada 16 Februari 2016. Pasukan 18 pemain berusia di antara 14 hingga 16 tahun mengambil bahagian dalam liga selama enam minggu yang bermula pada 2 April 2016.
Keputusan , gambar dan video liga AJFC 2016 yang terkini boleh didapati di laman Facebook Allianz Malaysia di facebook.com/AllianzMalaysia dan laman rasmi AJFC di allianzfootball.com.my
