By YVONNE SAKALA –
SIX Airtel Rising Stars (ARS) season three players are today expected to leave for Rwanda to represent Zambia at a training camp to be conducted by English Premiership giants,  Arsenal coaches, Rupen Shah and Nathan Asan.
The training camp is scheduled to run from April 28 to May 2 in Kigali.
The Zambian team consists of three boys and three girls.
Lusaka’s Alex Sikombe and Salati Lungu and Twiza Siwakwi Chaibela  of Mungwi make the boys team while  Elina Nyirenda and Theresa Chewe (Lusaka) and Jackline Nkole (Kitwe) will represent the girls.
Airtel acting Head of corporate communications and government relations, Lisa Mulozi said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that the training camp would feature other future stars from other countries like Uganda, Ghana and Nigeria.
Mulozi said the players representing Zambia were selected by the qualified Zambian coaches during the ARS national championship in August last year in Lagos, Nigeria.
She said while in Rwanda, the players were expected to learn the basics of football and it would create greater interaction and opportunities for social development through grassroots football.
And Airtel also donated 25 football boots valued at K12, 500 to the Zambia Under-17 team which is now in Italy for an international tournament.
Mulozi said the majority of the Under-17 players were  products of ARS and encouraged  the team to work hard as they did not only represent Airtel alone, but the country at large.
“ARS is an integral part of Airtel’s community empowerment initiative which aims at providing the youth with a real platform to gain skills and ultimately become stars.” she said.