First Sri Lankan team to be invited
Colombo Athletic has made history as the first academy team from Sri Lanka invited to participate in the prestigious IBER Cup, one of the world’s most important global youth tournaments. The competition brings together one hundred and twenty teams from close to forty countries each year and has served as a launching pad for many current professional players who count it among their career highlights. Players like Bernado Silva, Ruben Dias, Nuno Mendis, Rafa Leao, Vitiniha, among others have played there in their youth.
In their debut appearance, Colombo Athletic secured two wins out of four matches during the group stages before advancing to the knockout round, where they faced tough opposition but ultimately fell short. The group stage lineup was particularly challenging, featuring three Portuguese teams and one Spanish team. They faced top ranked Portuguese, Spanish and UAE academy teams. This makes Colombo Athelteic an IBER Cup ranked team, with its credentials there. Currently Colombo Athletic is ranked at 6 in its group.
The academy views this as a crucial learning experience and the beginning of something significant. The achievement is bolstered by Colombo Athletic’s collaboration with AC Milan, with players trained at AC Milan camps in both Colombo and Milan, ensuring they develop according to the Milan method.
Speaking on the achievement, Ajai Vir Singh, President of Colombo Athletic Football academy noted, “This is a very proud moment. We frankly never expected to go beyond the group stages. We played three Portuguese teams and a Spanish team in our group stages. We never thought we’d get past them. The fact that we did is a testimony to how well the boys played and the kind of football we are teaching. We are looking forward to more from here onwards as we keep pressed on our goal to develop.”
This first European outing represents a major milestone in the academy’s development plan to introduce a new footballing culture in Sri Lanka among the next generation. Colombo Athletic Football academy trains every week and is open for Boys and Girls aged 5-17 to enroll so they develop on its methodology.
The main partners of the Colombo Athletic team are Prima, Mastercard, Cinnamon Grand, Sorrell, Health-scan and Hradtalk, along with individual patrons.
