Army football school founded

BANGKOK, Dec 3 (TNA) – The 9th Infantry Division has opened its football school in compliance with a policy of the army chief. Lt Gen Kukiat Srinaka, chief of the 1st Army, said Army chief Gen Chalermchai Sitthisart handed 200,000 baht as a startup fund for each army region to establish an army football academy and the 9th Infantry Division was implementing the project on behalf of the 1st Army. The implementation by the 9th Infantry Division started last June when it invited youngsters aged 10-19 years old to join the football academy. Fifty students were shortlisted from 532 applicants. They are being trained and 20 of them will be substitute players. All the recruited trainees can join the football teams of the Royal Thai Army, the Royal Thai Army Football Club and the Army United Football Club in the future. “The 1st Army assigned the 9th Infantry Division at the Surasee Camp in Kanchanaburi province to open the football academy of the Army because it is ready in terms of facilities and personnel. It operates on weekends. We hope that the private sector will support the project,” Lt Gen Kukiat said. (TNA)