HKJC sponsors the Community Cup Jockeys and football legends show support for local football

09/14/2016

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Cup will kick off this Friday (16 September) at Mong Kok Stadium, the day following the Mid-Autumn Festival. This is the third year the Club has sponsored this much anticipated holiday contest. Adding to the excitement will be a new pre-match exhibition game featuring top jockeys and football legends, who will be joining together to show their support for football and community development. There will also be a chance to cheer on the football stars of the future in the HKJC Junior Community Cup.

The Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA), the event organiser, revealed details at a press conference today (14 September). At the press conference, the Club’s Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said the Community Cup is not only the first football title of this season but also a major opportunity to engage the public. “The Hong Kong Jockey Club is very passionate about football. We have initiated strategic programmes to support the development of football in Hong Kong, co-operating with the Hong Kong Football Association and other partners.  We believe football is one of the few global sports which can help young people build character and develop other competencies. The Community Cup also includes a match for young players which can inspire them in front of a big crown at the stadium,” said Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges.

The HKFA’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Sutcliffe showed his gratitude to the Club, “We are extremely grateful to The Hong Kong Jockey Club for its generous support for Hong Kong football.  The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Cup is not just about two teams however and the real beauty of this Cup is that all of the Premier League clubs will benefit from a share of the prize money as well as two very deserving charities.”

Competing in the 2016 Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Cup are Kitchee, which is making its third appearance, and last year’s Hong Kong Premier League champion Eastern Long Lions. Meanwhile in the junior Under 13 tournament, South China Athletic Association will take on Eastern District for the 2016 HKJC Junior Community Cup, giving the young players a chance to demonstrate their skills on a professional platform.

A new highlight this year will be a pre-match exhibition game. The idea of Champion Jockey Joao Moreira and football legend Peter Wong, the game will see jockeys and legends compete against each other in two mixed teams, namely Joao and Friends and Peter and Friends. Wong himself and the well-known Wong Man Wai will be the two team coaches.

As in previous years The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Cup will benefit both football and the wider community. In addition to prize money awarded to the two teams all of the other nine Premier League clubs will share HK$300,000. A portion of the Club’s sponsorship and the net proceeds from the match will also be donated to charities nominated by Kitchee and Eastern Long Lions, these being the United Christian Hospital and Pok Oi Hospital respectively. Participating jockeys and football legends have also kindly arranged top up to the donation amount.

As in the past two years, the Club will be inviting students and less-privileged people to enjoy the three games.

Jockeys and football legends taking part in the exhibition game are:

The Jockey Club is a long-time supporter of local football development. Since 2012, it has been collaborating with Manchester United on a number of programmes to bring professional coaching, as well as leadership and life skills training to Hong Kong’s young people – helping them grow physically, mentally and socially. The Club also supports the Jockey Club Youth Football Development Scheme, whose summer scheme is the largest such programme in Hong Kong. Last year, the Club announced a HK$120 million donation to support the first-ever holistic Jockey Club HKFA 5-Year Football Development Programme. The Club also funded the construction of Jockey Club Kitchee Centre as well as the reconstruction of Hong Kong Stadium.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a not-for-profit enterprise dedicated to community betterment. Through its integrated business model of world-class racing, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charity and community contribution, the Club generates substantial economic and social value and assists the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2015/16 the Club donated a record HK$3.9 billion to charity and paid a record HK$20.9 billion in tax. It is Hong Kong’s largest single tax payer and one of the world’s largest charity donors. Committed to global excellence and giving back to society, the Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong. Please visit 203.215.253.53.