FIVE of North Coast Football’s brightest young talents are testing their skills in one of Asia’s premier international youth football tournaments.

Emma Dowdle, Evie Gibson, Gemma Ray, Rune Fowler, and Vinne Hall have been playing for their Northern NSW Football Under 14s teams in the 2024 Singapore International Youth Cup.

The Singa Cup, which started in 2011, is one of Asia’s premier international youth football tournaments, and is being held until 9 November.

Players were selected following a thorough program consisting of assessments from the TSP coaching network, participation in TSP tournaments and participation in elite games.

This process of identification, assessment and benchmarking was also backed up by data captured via Northern NSW Football’s Talent ID App and conversations with premier clubs as well as technical directors and coaches from regional member zones and the Newcastle Jets Academy.

Northern NSW Football’s Technical Director Ryan Doidge, said he was looking forward to showcasing the footballing talent of Northern NSW on an international stage.

“We have some excellent young players from across our region in our squads, and I look forward to showcasing our region’s talent on an international stage,” he said.

“I am pleased to see that all seven member zones are represented on this tour.

“This is a credit to the work of clubs across our whole region and the success of our talent identification network.”

By Aiden BURGESS