PPCFC's elite football academy

Some of these Crown youngsters are eligible for the academy, if they are good enough

Phnom Penh Crown are streets ahead of any other professional team in Cambodia. Today's press conference to announce the first-ever residential football academy for young footballers proved exactly that. Trials in 17 locations (including most of the provinces) will take place during October to uncover the best talent the country's young football stars of the future have to offer. Aimed at 12 and 13 year olds, the 22 players that make the final cut will join Phnom Penh Crown on a full-time basis for two years, undergoing a tailored programme that will maximize their football potential and give them a private education as well. We are talking naturally-gifted players being coached every day to improve their technique and understanding of the game, at the club's own training ground in Tuol Kork. The programme they will follow is closely linked to Everton FC, renowned for their production line of talented youngsters who've gone onto play first-team football, through Crown's partners, Asia Pacific Football Academy in New Zealand. House parents will look after the youngster's welfare whilst they are away from home and the goal is to identify and nurture the cream of the country's youngsters, who will continue for another two years after their initial 2-year stint, with progress to the Crown first-team, and beyond, the eventual outcome. There has been nothing like this in Cambodian football before, this is ground-breaking development that is geared towards the overall improvement of Cambodia football. Most of the country's television and written media were present today, including all the tv channels such as Bayon, CTN, Seat, TV5, TV9, Apsara and so on at the press conference at the Phnom Penh Hotel. Phnom Penh Crown are the current Cambodian League champions and they have a vision to improve Cambodian football in the future and today's announcement is the first step of many they will be undertaking towards realizing that dream.

Crown Casino boss Rithy Samnang, who is financing the elite football academy, reads from his notes

The top table at today's press conference included government and federation officials, as well as the main academy sponsor, Rithy Samnang and Crown youth coach Bouy Dary (right)