Nigeria’s Chinasa and Colombia’s Luis win WorldRemit and Arsenal “Future Stars” Programme

November 20, 2019 5:19 PM

Chinasa Ukandu from Nigeria and Luis Alejandro Castañeda from Colombia have emerged as the winners of the 2019 WorldRemit and Arsenal Future Stars coaching programme.

Nigeria’s Chinasa and Colombia’s Luis win WorldRemit and Arsenal “Future Stars” Programme

The two youth coaches will fly to London for a personalised training session with Arsenal Football Development coaches.

Their trip to London will be fully sponsored by the online money transfer company WorldRemit.

Chinasa and Luis were among eight finalists, four women and four men, who were selected by a panel of judges from WorldRemit and Arsenal for their commitment to using football to empower young people and benefit their communities.

The pair emerged as the winners after a vote on www.futurestars.worldremit.com, during which the public could select their preferred male and female finalists.

Almost 40,000 votes were cast in less than three weeks – Chinasa received the highest number among the female coaches and Luis received the highest number among the male finalists.

The two community football coaches will now be sponsored by WorldRemit to attend an exclusive training programme with Arsenal Football Development coaches in London.

Head Coach at Arsenal Football Development, Simon McManus, said they are ready to welcome the two winners. “Through our programmes in London and across the globe, our Football Development coaches are dedicated to helping set young players up for success both on and off the pitch,”

He added: “The Future Stars winners’ work within their communities shows just how powerful football can be and the importance of promoting diversity within the sport. We are excited to meet Chinasa and Luis and support them in amplifying their contributions to grassroots football in Nigeria and Colombia even further.”

The winner in the female category, Chinasa, provides young people with an opportunity to develop football and life skills at Help The Talent Academy. She coaches boys and girls aged five to 16 in Lagos State, Nigeria.

“I’m so excited to win the training session in London and can’t wait to meet the Arsenal Football Development coaches. I love a challenge and will use this global coaching opportunity to take new skills back to Nigeria and give back to my community,” Chinasa said.

Luis, who won the male category, is a volunteer coach for a blind boys’ football team from Bogotá and the surrounding area. The team was set up by his father, who is blind, 20 years ago to help young people develop their mobility and independence.

“I’m so grateful to WorldRemit and Arsenal for this opportunity. I’ve always dreamed of travelling to London and will use the experience of training with Arsenal Football Development to help develop and raise awareness of Paralympic sport in Colombia and even globally,” Luis said.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director Middle East & Africa at WorldRemit, Andrew Stewart, said his company is proud to celebrate individuals who use sport to make a difference to the lives of others:“Through our partnership with Arsenal and the Future Stars programme, we are delighted to celebrate the stories of inspiring individuals such as Chinasa and Luis, who use sport to make a difference to the lives of the young people they train. Congratulations to the winners and our team looks forward to welcoming you to London!”

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