Wigan Athletic secure 'very exciting' Academy link-up in Bahrain

The NVTC, named after and chaired by His Royal Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, provides high quality academic, vocational, and social lessons to enable students to successfully realise their potential and future.

With Latics’ ties to Bahrain through the club’s ownership group, this partnership has been launched to help develop an Academy facility within the NVTC for the very first time.

The partnership will see the sharing of ideas, coaching methods and staff during the initial six-year agreement, looking to help continue the development and growth of football within the region.

In the hope of gaining a further understanding of both countries’ cultures and way of life, the partnership will also explore the opportunity of students/apprentices visiting both Academy bases to improve their football education during the six-year period.

Latics CEO Mal Brannigan said: “The announcement of this partnership is a very exciting one.

"Football continues to be developed at pace in Bahrain and the GCC region, and it is an honour for the club to be asked to contribute to the progress being made and its future success.

“The investment made by Mr Al-Jasmi as owner and Talal Al Hammad as chairman into Wigan Athletic is tangible and there for all to see.

"So if the club can help repay that in some small way, then we will.

“The conversations the club has had with Dr Abdulla Alnaoimi and his staff around football development and academic progress has been very encouraging, and I am sure there will be benefits for all parties involved in this agreement."

Dr Abdulla bin Naser Al-Noaimi, executive director of the NVTC, said “This qualitative agreement is one of the outcomes of the continuous support and guidance provided by His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Works and Youth Affairs and Chairman of NVTC Board of Trustees, to provide gateways to new and professional horizons for skilled Bahraini youth, in which his Highness assures on every occasion on their skills and capabilities, to lead and become added values locally and internationally.”