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LaLiga Academy welcomes first batch of students, including Singaporean Denzel Ari Thrumurgan

The academy houses state-of-the-art facilities, including two football pitches and an international college.

Ernest Cheng

Has an unhealthy obsession with iced lemon tea.

Published: 8 September 2022, 12:30 PM

Fourteen year-old Singaporean Denzel Ari Thrumurgan has reported to the LaLiga Academy in ESC Madrid, Spain, following the facility’s official opening on Sep 5.

In August, LaLiga Singapore announced at an event that Denzel will be part of the pioneer batch of 37 young footballers from over 20 different countries that will head over to Madrid as part of LaLiga’s training programme.

The academy is geared towards improving players’ abilities, as well as focusing on excellence and the integral development of their performance in both academic and sporting fields.

The programme will allow players to live, train and study at the academy during the 2022 to 2023 academic year. They will also train according to the LaLiga Methodology with top-level coaches coordinated directly from the organisation’s headquarters in Madrid and in continuous contact with the Centre.

Denzel Ari Thrumurgan_1 — Denzel shared that is a “huge privilege” to be the first Singaporean to train and study at the “state-of-the-art” sports and education facility. PHOTO CREDIT: LALIGA

The new state-of-the-art ESC LaLiga & NBA complex includes accommodation for more than 400 people with 24-hour security, an international college equipped with an auditorium, library and laboratory, a clinic and several areas for gaming, relaxation and study.

The complex also houses two football pitches as well as different training areas, including a gymnasium and swimming pool, in addition to the NBA training pavilion which is still yet to be completed.

LaLiga Academy is the first annual programme launched by LaLiga in Spain, joining more than 550 grassroots football projects in more than 43 countries developed since 2015.