Goal factory

In the fizz for the World Cup in Russia, a group of boys is trained to take part in the national finals games of the most universal of sports in minor categories.

They have their headquarters in the best possible place. The Provincial Football Academy, has the best conditions for a good training and it is very close to La Bombonera, stadium for this sport in Artemisa; his coach Miguel Ángel Sevillano, ensures that every time they train here they get a medal.

Founded in 1990 – thanks to FIFA´s support – and located on San Cristóbal´s outskirts, one of the places with the longest tradition in Cuban football, was the genesis of the great triumphs of Pinar del Rio football and the incipient results of Artemisa, as the sub-national subtitle last year.

“This institution aims to prepare athletes over 17, with the physical and technical conditions to for our preselection. We divided them into two categories, sub 23 and older, and from there we formed teams to the national championships, “said Carlos Manuel Moreno, Academy director.

Our province is proud to have a place to train its high performance footballers and raise their level in this exciting world; being located at a mid point between Havana and Pinar del Río, it favors the games of these two strong rivals.

“The location also allows us to make training bases at La Altura beach in Bahia Honda and Soroa hills. Today the group includes 25 players under 23 years and 15 older, so young people are the basis of our teams, ” Moreno adds.

“The conditions of accommodation and food for athletes are not optimal; but we can categorize them as good, the provincial authorities give us all their support in this sense as well as in transportation, “explains Pablo Saínz Morales, deputy director of the facility.

The Gol project and the future

With funds from the FIFA Goal project, this installation was prepared from the beginning . The director explains that everything that needed currency to buy was put by the International Federation, and now they have taken up that policy for the necessary repairs.

“It is also in the plans to promote women’s football in the territory. There is a willingness on both sides to build new dormitories for girls, once again they will put the equipment, but we willl be in charge of the constructive work and with our resources, so we must wait for its approval by the government, ” Moreno adds.

FIFA requires that all resources delivered by that federation reach the athlete and improve their living conditions, so they can not be used for civil works. “We still have a large part of the donations made in our opening,” recalls the director.

After a maintenance received during 2016, which did not cover all the necessary, they hope that the economy plan for next years can include the installation of ceramics in bathrooms and kitchen, electrical system, as well as the arrangement of all the deteriorated carpentry.

Good results today …, better for tomorrow

The wish the Academy´s directors and coaches is to provide all possible conditions to their athletes so that they only worry about their athletic performance. Little by little the work has had good results: the silver medal of the sub 23 and the classification to the first division two years ago prove it.

For next course they already have the necessary balls in the training and boys footwear is guaranteed, although its quality is not the best. “In this sport shoes are broken very often, we do not expect the one used at a professional level, but we want it to last as long as possible, because only one pair is given per year,” Pablo Saínz explains.

Saínz himself, who directed the teams of the province in national tournaments, assures that after the work of these years a great result for football in Artemisa is coming, because “the base of our team is the sub 23 and they already had theirs and little by little they will continue to gain level “.

So Esteban Martínez also predicts , one of the coaches; he trusts the quality of his boys and says that a sample of them is that 11 have been selected as reinforcements, among the first division teams.

With many challenges, encouragement and certainty of triumphs , workers in the Provincial Football Academy, do not rest in their efforts to train better players, able to give the best goals for Artemisa province.

TRANSLATION BY LMMS