Airtel Rising Stars 2015 kicks off in Takoradi on Saturday

Ghana’s most authentic and credible football talent competition, Airtel Rising Stars is set to begin in Takoradi on the this weekend, Saturday 25th to Sunday 26th July, 2015.

The award winning competition will see the Regional Under-15 select teams of the Western and Central regions go head to head in a feisty competition for a slot at the national finals of the tournament hailed by the bigwigs of Ghana football.

Anchored on Airtel’s thematic campaign dubbed “Its Now,” Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kwesi Nyantakyi wished all teams the best of competition and talent showcasing during this year’s Airtel Rising Stars.

“This is the most important competition in Ghana football. There is so much talent at this Under 15 level. Being identified early means being developed early. Very soon, only players from competitions such as the Airtel Rising Stars which combines football with education will be the ones playing for the national teams. I wish every region well,” the GFA boss concluded.

The Takoradi event will feature two male teams from both Western and Central Regions as well as a female team each. The female teams will face off in one single match while the male teams will be locked in a knockout fight for honors.

“Airtel Rising Stars is the most potent competition we have in Ghana at the Under-15 level. It is the competition for the year. All the Under 15 players want to be part of it and it means a lot to the players," said National Juvenile Football competition Chairman, Nii Doku.

"In Takoradi, we expect some youngster’s national dream to begin. Both Central and Western Region have strong football traditions. So I tell you my brothers, we know it’s going to be extremely tough," he continued.

"The beauty of Airtel Rising Stars is that the players are so talented and they want to make their families and friends proud of them. So it is the most beautiful spectacle of football you can find," Nii Doku affirmed.

The Gyandu Park will host the Takoradi event, which is one of five zonal competitions preceding the national finals in Sunyani later in the year. Other venues this year for the zonal games of Airtel Rising Stars are Konongo for the Ashanti Region, Tamale for the Northern Region, Wa for the Upper West Region and Denu in the Volta Region.

"We want to increase the footprints of Airtel Rising Stars across the country," said Kwame Gyan, the Brands and Assets Manager of Airtel Ghana.

"Very few celebrated or award winning national competitions happen in Wa, Denu or in Konongo and there is certainly no national finals that chooses Sunyani as a shrine. This is Airtel’s way of saying we are willing to spread the efficacy of our network and the beauty of our competition to as many touch points as possible every year," Mr. Gyan added.

From Takoradi, Airtel Rising Stars heads to Konongo which will host the Ashanti and Eastern Regions. Tamale and WA follow in quick succession where Upper East and Northern Regions will compete followed by the Upper West and Brong Ahafo Regions. The Volta Regional town of Denu completes the zonal journey and the national finals will be held in Sunyani on the 29th and 30th August 2015.