Kolkata: Fifteen school boys, selected from eight cities in India, will take part in the International Soccer Festival to be held in England from July 26 to August three.

Chief coach of Arsenal Soccer School, England, Paul Shipwright and his deputy Martin Davis will select the 15 boys (all under 15 years).

The programme, known as Arsenal Way, is being conducted by Tata Tea Arsenal Soccer Stars and the preliminary shortlisting of school children has already begun.

Organisers spokesman Saurav Chatterjee said that the Kolkata leg of Tata Tea Arsenal Soccer Stars (TTASS), an initiative of Tata Tea in Association with Arsenal FC of United Kingdom, would be held at Howrah Municipal stadium from May 9 to 11.

Chatterjee said the Arsenal way already commenced in seven other cities, Bangalore, Calicut, Goa, Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai and Shillong, with each city having its own elimination rounds and culminating in the national tournament.

The two finalists from each city will then play the All India Finals to be held in Kolkata from May 17.

The Kolkata leg would see more than eighty schools participating from various parts of the state and the region. The meet would be conducted in league cum knock-out basis and two top teams from Kolkata leg would then join the top teams from other cities in the national final.

The tournament would be watched by former Iranian soccer star Jamshed Nasiri with an objective of spotting exceptionally talented children.

Source : PTI