The Borussia Dortmund (BVB) Evonik Youth Camp in Vermosa, Imus, Cavite. Photo handout. 

MANILA — The Borussia Dortmund (BVB) Evonik Youth Camp kicked off on Sunday at Vermosa Sports Hub, giving 25 young Filipino footballers the chance to train with elite BVB coaches and potentially earn a spot in the prestigious BVB-International MVP program in Dortmund, Germany. 

The program invites top-performing students to train alongside BVB youth teams under Dortmund's renowned coaching staff.

Led by BVB Coaches from Shanghai and Japan Volkan Özkan and Niklas Flechsig, and organized by local organizer Coach Nii Ayi, the camp — designed for academy students aged 9 to 18 and divided into two age groups — began with an assessment of technical skills to tailor each player's training. 

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Coach Simon Van Den Hanenberg, Manager of BVB Dortmund Sports China, emphasized the camp's focus on player development as it can be their ticket to Germany.

"We bring BVB coaches to Manila to share our training methods, and, for those with top-level potential, we offer a pathway to Dortmund," he said. "Borussia Dortmund provides football training for all kinds of levels. If our coaches see players internationally and we see the potential to become top-class football players, we provide the opportunity to participate in the ‘BVB-International MVP' program in Dortmund." 

"During this journey to Dortmund the players are getting trained with other international talents by BVB coaches and can compete against our BVB-Youth Teams," Van Den Hanenberg added.

Over the next three days, the program will include skills diagnostics that allow coaches to compare students' abilities with Borussia Dortmund's own youth players, aiming to identify those with the potential to reach international standards. 

"This camp is a great help for developing my child's skills," shared Kris Millado, a parent of one participant. "It's an incredible honor to be invited by one of Germany's biggest clubs." 

As the camp kicks off, each participant has the chance to experience Borussia Dortmund's elite training philosophy and possibly step onto the international stage, representing the Philippines.