Younghusband brothers usher in third Chelsea FC school in Asia

The distinct blue hue of Chelsea FC was everywhere at an event nook in the SM Mall of Asia Tuesday, as the former club of Phil and James Younghusband launched its third Blue Pitch program in Asia.

Blue Pitch, the English Premier League club's community-based football training program, made its Asian debut in Hong Kong, back in 2009, and then in Malaysia a year later. For the Younghusbands, it was an easy decision to bring the movement over to the Philippines. Aside from setting up football schools all over Asia, Chelsea is also implementing its "Search for an Asian Soccer Star." The club said the talent search “is the only initiative of its kind undertaken by a professional football club and is designed to give a much needed boost to Asian participation at all levels of the game.” In an interview with GMA News Online, Phil Younghusband said the site for the football school has been chosen, but he declined to identify the location for now. Chelsea FC Asia Pacific managing director Adrian New said the football schools are the club’s way of helping build communities and encouraging more youngsters to love football. Among the Filipino youths taking part in the football summer camp are 20 kids from the Gawad Kalinga in Muntinlupa. The young footballers went through various sets of exercises meant to sharpen their playing skills. Phil also mentioned that he thinks his former club will give a good account of themselves when they play FC Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday (Sunday, PHL time), saying that he expects Chelsea to defend well and outplay their Bundesliga opponents. Wednesday, Younghusband and his Loyola Meralco Sparks team head off to the 2012 Singapore Cup, where they will go up against Geylang United on Friday at the Jalan Basar Stadium. - AMD, GMA News