Menu

Chinasa Ukandu, a Nigerian grassroots youth football coach, and Luis Alejandro Castañeda from Colombia have won the 2019 Future Stars coaching programme, an initiative of WorldRemit, a leading digital money transfer company, and Arsenal Football Club. According to a statement released today, the competition, won by the two youth coaches, celebrates the positive impact that grassroots youth football coaches have on their communities, helping the children they train to develop life skills both on and off the pitch.      

Ukandu coaches boys and girls aged five to 16 at Help The Talent Academy, a football academy in Lagos that is supporting less privileged kids who are gifted in the game of football. She completed phase three of the Premier Skills Coach Educators Course (an initiative by the English Premier League and British Council) in 2015.

Castañeda is a volunteer coach for a blind boys’ football team in Bogotá. The team was set up by his father, who is blind, 20 years ago to help young people develop their mobility and independence.

“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,” said Andrew Stewart, Managing Director Middle East & Africa at WorldRemit. “Congratulations to the winners and our team looks forward to welcoming you to London!”

Following their emergence as winners of the competition, the two youth coaches will travel to London for a personalised training session with Arsenal Football Development coaches. Their trip will be sponsored by WorldRemit. Ukandu and Castañeda 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. Among the 40,000 votes that were cast in less than three weeks, Ukandu received the highest number among the female coaches and Castañeda received the highest number among the male finalists.

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

The 2019 Future Stars programme is the second edition of the initiative developed by the London-based financial technology (fintech) company and the English football club. The competition received over 1,400 applications this year from across Africa and the Americas.

Castañeda said, “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.”

Simon McManus, Head Coach at Arsenal Football Development, said the club’s Football Development coaches are dedicated to helping set young players up for success both on and off the pitch. “We are excited to meet Chinasa and Luis and support them in amplifying their contributions to grassroots football in Nigeria and Colombia even further,” McManus added.