FC Barcelona invites Florida shooting hero to Camp Nou

FC Barcelona have invited Anthony Borges, one of the seriously wounded survivors of the February 14 Florida school massacre, to visit the Catalan football club's facilities.

The 15-year-old Borges, who attends Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, was shot five times in the back while heroically helping 20 classmates hide from the shooter, who killed 17 people and wounded 15 more, reports Efe.

Borges "received a club shirt signed by the first team players this week. And it's a gesture that he most certainly deserves. For the 15-year-old of Venezuelan origin is a true hero," said Barcelona in a statement on their website on Thursday.

Borges -- who played football at the new Barça Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for two months in 2016 and is a big fan of the club - had always dreamt of traveling to Barcelona and meeting the team's first-string players.

Barcelona offered the services of its own medical team to help Borges get all the surgery he needs, and also helped in giving exposure to his father's crowdfunding campaign to raise money for his son's medical expenses.

--IANS

pur/vm