Latest update July 31st, 2026 12:35 AM
Oct 13, 2011 Sports
Digicel Kick Start Clinics Head Coach and England and Liverpool football Legend, John Barnes, has chosen the four aspiring young footballers from Suriname who will go through to the Digicel Academy in Trinidad from November 1 – 7.
The four footballers from Suriname – Jofendri Gainsa, Moreno Asoman, Jamal Pocorni and Sorencio Juliaans – were chosen from a competitive group of 50 who all showcased their talent during the three-day Clinic held at the Franklin Essed Stadium.
The boys will now join the ‘crème de la crème’ of young footballing talent at the Digicel Academy – a week-long elite training camp under the leadership of top Barclays Premier League coaches, Kevin Ball and Carlton Fairweather, from the Sunderland Academy, assisted by John Barnes.

John Barnes with the four selected winners who will now go through to the Digicel Academy in Trinidad
In addition, Shaferio Bergtop, was the winner of the Digicel ‘Hot Shot’ competition and is now in with a chance to be chosen as the wild card for the final place in the Digicel Academy.
Suriname has a legacy of producing talented footballers. During the Digicel Kick Start Clinics of 2008 and 2009, three aspiring young Surinamese footballers were chosen to travel to the United Kingdom to the acclaimed Sunderland Academy where they spent one week training with some of Europe’s top coaches.
Sunderland Academy Assistant manager, Kevin Ball, said; “The youngsters have worked hard to get to this point and we are going to give them as much advice and assistance as we can to help fulfill their ambitions to play football at the highest level. It’s not easy to make it; not only do you have to have talent, but you need dedication and a single-mindedness to succeed – and we’ll be looking for all those attributes in the players.”
Digicel Kick Start Clinics Head Coach, John Barnes, said; “As usual, I was very impressed with the quality of boys in Suriname – and as expected it was a difficult decision to choose only four boys. There was at least six or seven boys who deserved to go to Trinidad, and I have no doubt that the ones chosen will represent Suriname with distinction.”
Winner of a place in the Digicel Academy, Moreno Asoman, said; “I am very happy that I was chosen as this was my very first clinic and I am determined to do my very best in Trinidad.”
The Digicel Academy will also host a ‘coach the coaches’ seminar in which coaches from across the region will get expert training from Sunderland AFC’s finest teachers.
The Digicel Kick Start Clinics programme officially kicked off on Sunday 18th September in Haiti before travelling on to Panama, New York, St. Kitts & Nevis, Grenada, Suriname, Jamaica and culminating in a week long training session at the Digicel Academy in Trinidad.
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