Club announces its continued sponsorship of the Community Cup

09/17/2015

The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced today (17 September) that it will continue its title sponsorship of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Cup, the first title of the season. The Club’s sponsorship continues its strong support for the development of local football.  It also benefits the wider community as a portion of the Club’s sponsorship and the net proceeds of the game will be donated to charity.

At a press conference held by the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) today to announce details of the 2015 Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Cup, the Club’s Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges explained, “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Cup is a wonderful event which combines football with community engagement. That’s why we are keen to invite the top teams. For the young players under 13, they will get inspiration from playing at such a level. In addition, part of the donations for the Community Cup from the Club will be given to charity.”

A portion of the Club’s sponsorship and the net proceeds from the match will be donated to charities nominated by the competing clubs. Kitchee have selected the United Christian Hospital as the beneficiary while the choice of South China is Homeless World Cup (HK).

The 2015 Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Cup will take place at Mongkok Stadium on Sunday, 20 September. The match will feature the reigning Premier League champions Kitchee and the season play-off winners South China. Before the match, two U13 football teams, South China and Hong Kong Football Club, will compete for the HKJC Junior Community Cup, giving the city's youth footballers a chance to demonstrate their skills in a major competition.

Thanking the Club for its generous support for Hong Kong football, the HKFA’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Sutcliffe said the sponsorship would also benefit all of the Premier League clubs. “Sunday’s match between Kitchee and South China is eagerly awaited with both teams looking to gain an early season psychological advantage. 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. I hope the match is as entertaining as last year’s and that a large crowd turns up to enjoy the festival atmosphere. Best of luck to both teams and once again thank you to the Jockey Club for their sponsorship.”

In addition, free tickets sponsored by the Club will enable one thousand students and less-privileged people to enjoy the match.

The Jockey Club is a long-time supporter of local football development. Projects include the first-ever holistic Jockey Club HKFA 5-Year Football Development Programme, announced in August, supported by a HK$120 million donation, and the recently opened Jockey Club Kitchee Centre and the up-coming Football Training Centre in Tseung Kwan O. The Club is also partnering with Manchester United on a series of innovative youth football projects, and it has supported the Hong Kong Games and its futsal games. And having rebuilt Hong Kong Stadium in the 1990s as a home for Hong Kong’s major domestic and international football games, the Club has recently funded and provided expert advice for the construction of its new grass surface.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class horse racing operator and Hong Kong’s largest community benefactor, as well as one of Asia’s most prestigious membership clubs. Operating as a not-for-profit organisation, the Club allocates its surplus funds for charitable and community projects. In 2014/15, its donations reached a record $3.87 billion, and in the last decade alone it supported over 1,300 projects. The Club is also Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer, contributing a record HK$20.05 billion in 2014/15. With about 70% of its revenue given back to society every year through donations and tax contributions, The Hong Kong Jockey Club delivers a significantly higher return to the community than any other racing and/or sports betting organisation in the world. As a socially responsible organisation, the Club helps Government combat illegal betting and advocates responsible gambling. The Club is also one of Hong Kong’s largest employers with over 24,000 full-time and part-time staff. 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.