November 17 – English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur has expanded its push into Chinese markets with a series of grassroots initiatives that are being supported by club sponsor AIA.
Spurs reckons it has more than 180 million fans in the Far East. In China the club has five Official Supporters Clubs in China and is supported by popular Chinese social media channels and a Chinese-language website to further engage its fans.
The Chinese initiatives include a week-long coaching clinic in Shandon Province supported by club legend Ledley King.
“Tottenham Hotspur has a great track record of supporting grassroots football development around the world and China has become a key focus for us in recent years,” said King. “Our long-term commercial partnership with AIA has given us a great foothold in the Far East region to develop sporting initiatives and the chance to work with Chongding FC is the latest step…I am encouraged by how the game is continuing to develop and improve every time I visit.”
The coaching team will be working closely with players and coaches from Chongding FC, sharing ideas and passing on the Spurs coaching philosophy. The club says it has committed to supporting development of grassroots football in China, in line with government objectives.
Through its partnership with life insurance provider AIA in the Asia-Pacific region, the club is also a keen supporter of the company’s China Youth Football Development Programme, providing underprivileged young people across the country with access to the sport. Spurs have also previously been involved in China’s ‘Football Dream’ initiative, that saw the club work in partnership with FC Internazionale to unearth young talent from regions across China with the ultimate reward of a coaching experience in Europe.
Yanzhi (Michael) Zhang, CEO of Chongding FC, welcomed Tottenham Hotspur to Qingdao, saying: “These are exciting times for football in China. We are delighted that Tottenham Hotspur are visiting us and will hope their contribution will help us achieve our football development objectives”. Chongding FC has over 400 registered players of all standards, plus programmes for 1,000 students aged between 4-16 at 25 schools in the local area.
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