DORTMUND TALENT SEARCH

Borussia Dortmund (BVB) officially launched its presence in the Caribbean with the first BVB affiliate academy in the region, Cooper's Coaching Academy in Trinidad and Tobago. This was marked by a news conference at the Kapok Hotel in Port of Spain, where Florian Ingwersen, BVB's head of Global Football Development, Coaching and Partner, presented academy founder Damian Cooper with a Borussia Dortmund jersey.

The launch coincides with the BVBIA Caribbean/Gatorade Under-17 Youth Invitational Challenger Cup, held today at St Mary’s Grounds in St Clair. Sponsored by Gatorade, this tournament serves as the official curtain-raiser for the BVB International Academy—Caribbean (BVBIA Caribbean), signifying the start of BVB's efforts to implement its renowned football development model in the Caribbean.

Trinidad and Tobago is the first location for this initiative, which is led locally by Athletes and Fans Sports Village (AFSV), headed by Damien Cooper. The aim is a broader regional rollout of BVB academies, providing local youth access to elite-level training based on the philosophies and standards of BVB's home academy in Germany.

A high-level BVB delegation, introduced at the Kapok Hotel conference, supports the launch. Key members include Florian Ingwersen, Douglas Payne (CEO BVBIA North America), Dru Wright (Chief Football Officer BVBIA NA), Jason Brewer (Chief Communications Officer BVBIA NA), Colin Rocke (Executive Director of Football BVBIA Caribbean), and Martin Lashley (Executive Director of R&D BVBIA Caribbean).

The purpose of BVB International in the Caribbean is to develop regional player talent. Dru Wright explained that the BVB Caribbean Academy will offer elite players the chance to train at a high level alongside players from the US, creating a pathway for identification by the German club. The best players may get opportunities to showcase themselves in Germany, with Wright noting Dortmund's strong interest in two female players previously taken there in March.