KOPA Arena in Penang will come alive this weekend when it hosts the La Liga Youth Tournament.
The two-day event which starts tomorrow with the support of Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, will have teams comprising members from the Asean region in Under-8, Under-10, Under-12, Under-14 and Under-16 categories.
The best player will have a chance to attend one of the Primera Division training camps in Madrid, Spain.
The Spanish league is often referred to as La Liga in English-speaking countries.
“La Liga is proud to be able to contribute and participate directly in the development of grassroots football in Malaysia,” said Adrian Prol, who is La Liga’s delegate in Malaysia.
Daniel Wong of Sambill Park, the organiser of the tournament, said: “We believe that La Liga Grassroots programmes, highlighted by the La Liga Camps, can be very beneficial for young players who want to take a step further in their development.
“That is why we are convinced that the combination of both concepts, tournaments in Malaysia and stays in Madrid, will create great opportunities for the development of football here.”
“The tournament will provide many Asean footballers with the opportunity to experience a real football atmosphere with 50 teams from five countries.”