Tenollar, Mitra earn trip to Munich for prestigious Bayern training

BALI – From kicking a bottle of C2 as a substitute for football back home in Baguio, 14-year-old Aeron Tenollar is going to play with the best equipment at the first-rate training facility of FC Bayern Munich in Germany as a participant in the Allianz Junior Football Camp's global sessions later this month.

Tenollar joined compatriot JM Mitra and 13 other youngsters from all over Asia in booking trips to the Munich camp after impressing a panel of coaches that included Bayern Munich legends Giovane Elber and Klaus Augenthaler in the regional sessions that ended yesterday.

“Hindi ko expected (Didn’t expect to be named as a delegate to Munich),” said Tenollar, whose father works as a watch repairman and whose mother runs a barbershop in the summer capital.

“Excited na pumunta sa Munich, magpapapicture ako kay Arjen Robben (I’m excited to fly to Munich to train there and get a picture with Arjen Robben),” he added.

The trip to Bayern Munich hasn’t sank in on Mitra, 14, yet.

“I’m very, very, very much looking forward to it. Especially since Bayern’s new transferee (on loan) James Rodriguez is a favorite of mine,” said Mitra, who gave his mom an emotional embrace after receiving his certificate.

 “It’s a very big stepping stone for me. I’ll try to give my 100 percent and do my best in Munich."

The two will join selected youngsters from over 25 countries worldwide for the AJFC’s five-day program in Germany, where they will get to train where the Bayern stars train and eat at the canteen where they dine, meet the team's stars, and watch the team play a Bundesliga match at Allianz Arena, among other activities.

Tenollar and Mitra led a five-player Philippine delegation sent to the four-day AJFC Asian camp for the first time by Allianz PNB Life. The others were Konrad Keim Sollorin of Iloilo and Gawad Kalinga players Jasper Berun and Jeofrey Fresnido, who were accompanied by Allianz PNB Life branding communications and digital director Rei Abrazaldo and coach Jess Landangan.