Embassy Events

U.S. Government Awards Soccer Scholarships to Yungas Young Players for Third Year in a Row

Rudy Angola from Coscoma, Christian Vargas from Pastopata, and Erick Calle from
Caranavi are three Yungas youngsters who will receive U.S. government- funded
scholarships this year to attend the prestigious Tauichi Aguilera Soccer Academy in Santa
Cruz. The scholarships are being awarded by the U.S. Embassy in Bolivia to the best young
soccer players of the Yungas region, in Northern La Paz. This is the third consecutive year
that the U.S. Government has awarded these scholarships.

The youths were selected on April 7 in the town of Irupana at the championship game of
the Under-13 Soccer Tournament, in which youth soccer teams from the provinces of Nor
Yungas, Sud Yungas, and Caranavi participated.
The tournament, organized by the UMOPAR police unit with the support of the U.S.
Embassy, aims to promote healthy habits and lifestyles among children and fosters the habit
of making good use of their spare time as an alternative to drug use.
Through these scholarships the young players will be able to continue improving their
soccer skills and work towards achieving their dream of becoming professional soccer players
in the future.
Since 2003 the Embassy of the United States has supported the activities of the Tauichi
soccer academy as an initiative to teach the youths and society about the serious risks and
consequences of drug use for the consumers, their families and the community.
Previously, the U.S. Embassy supported Tauichi with the construction and equipping of a
gym, to help young soccer players attain excellent performance levels, especially when
participating in international youth soccer tournaments.