Jockey Club Youth Football Scheme 2010 to groom young talents

14 June 2010

Football has long been one of the most popular sports in Hong Kong, especially at the present time with thousands of local fans cheering on their favourite teams in the World Cup.  To encourage more young people to take up the sport as players, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has granted HK$1.51 million to the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) to organise the Jockey Club Youth Football Scheme 2010, running from July to October.

The scheme is aimed at providing systematic football training for young people, as well as identifying talented young players for further development.  Today (14 June), Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges joined HKFA Chairman Brian Leung and Assistant Director of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) Olivia Chan at a press conference to announce details of this year!|s programme.

Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges !V a former professional footballer himself !V noted that the Club had always been a staunch supporter of local sports development.  He believed the scheme would be of great value in helping young people realise their footballing dreams.

!§We know from our own experience that providing the right hardware is only one part of the equation; developing the software is equally, if not more, important,!‥ Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges observed.  !§This scheme certainly meets that need, being a large-scale, citywide skills training programme that reaches some 10,000 young people a year.!‥

Former Hong Kong Footballer of the Year Lee Kin-wo, Hong Kong team member Chan Wai-ho, and four Hong Kong under-12 team members who participated in the scheme last year have been appointed the scheme!|s ambassadors.  They will visit primary and secondary schools to demonstrate their skills and promote the scheme.

The Summer Youth Football Scheme is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year.  Organised by the HKFA and subvented by LCSD, it has helped discover numerous football stars over the years, such as former Hong Kong team members Lee Kin-wo and Yau Kin-wai, as well as current stars Chan Siu-ki, Yapp Hung-fai and Chan Wai-ho, all participated in the scheme before becoming professional players.

The scheme provides systematic training for young people aged five to nineteen every summer.  It is divided into four stages: Basic Football Skills Training, Advanced Teamwork and Strategy Training, Inter-district Competitions and in the final stage, Inter-regional Competitions.

Enrolment in the scheme is now open for all boys and girls aged five to nineteen.  Application forms can be obtained at HKFA, various LCSD District Leisure Service Offices, public libraries, and all service units of the Boys!| and Girls!| Clubs Association of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups and the Hong Kong Playground Association.  For details, please refer to HKFA!|s website: www.hkfa.com.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has become one of Hong Kong!|s best known and respected organisations, providing the public with world-class sporting entertainment as well as being the city!|s major non-Government community benefactor, now donating more than HK$1 billion a year to charitable and community projects.  It has been a part of Hong Kong through good times and bad, sharing the city!|s growth and development with its people, and is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for future generations.