HKJC celebrates its ten-year partnership with Manchester United

12/08/2022 11:00

The partnership between The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Manchester United reaches a new milestone this year as the two renowned sporting organisations celebrate a decade-long collaboration with a series of initiatives that demonstrate the Club’s commitment to the betterment of our society.

Four local coaches and four schoolteachers will be offered a one-week exchange tour to Manchester in August, following their successful completion of Hong Kong’s first coaching course with female players as its main theme.

The delegation will be able to mine a wealth of knowledge from the United’s coaches and specialists in various areas and share their experience in nurturing young footballers. They will also learn how the world-famous football club creates social value through charitable and community work.

“We’re very pleased to see how our partnership has grown continuously over the past 10 years to bring real impact to different groups from primary school children and youth players to parents and professional coaches,” said Anthony Ingham, the Club’s Executive Director of Membership, Strategic Marketing and Branding. “Our collaboration has also seen the introduction of a series of innovative programmes that inspire the participants to learn life lessons, learn teamwork and become stronger physically, mentally and socially.”

Since the collaboration with Manchester United began in July 2012, over 130 primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong, as well as several post-secondary institutions, have become partners in the “Best Foot Forward” campaign. The Club has also welcomed 14 Old Trafford ‘legends’ to the city including Sir Bobby Charlton, Bryan Robson, Peter Schmeichel and Park Ji Sung, while more than 20 Manchester United coaches and specialists have conducted seminars and workshops for their local counterparts.

Victoria Timpson, Manchester United’s CEO of Alliances and Partnerships, said, “Manchester United and The Hong Kong Jockey Club are both committed to inspiring and giving back to the community. Our shared values have made the last ten years an incredible success. We look forward to continuing to harness the power of sports to make a positive impact on people and society.”

The value of continuous development and different types of football expertise has also been shared with the general public through six video series on coaching and youth development. Moreover, thanks to vast knowledge provided by Manchester United and support from the Hong Kong Football Association, a three-year-long youth football fitness assessment exercise has been conducted, resulting in the creation of a first-of-its-kind youth footballer fitness database in 2016.       

Stories of individuals who have grown and developed with the campaign will be shared in the final quarter of 2022. “As we are seeing a lot of future prospects emerge from a regional perspective, our decade-long collaboration with Manchester United has strengthened our confidence and determination in riding high together with Hong Kong’s young people – as with everyone in our city – towards a better and brighter future of all,” Mr Ingham said.

Members of the public may learn more of the ten-year Best Foot Forward partnership journey from the dedicated mini-site at https://bit.ly/3SFy581.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2020/21, the Club returned a total of HK$29.4 billion to the community. This included HK$24.9 billion to the Government in duty, profits tax and Lotteries Fund contributions and HK$4.5 billion in approved charity donations.  The Club is Hong Kong's largest single taxpayer and one of the city's major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world's top ten charity donors. The Club is always "riding high together for a better future" with the people of Hong Kong.