April 7 – Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur have added a fixture in Malaysia as part of the their end of season two-match tour which will also see them play in Australia.
Before taking their Summer break the first team squad will play a Malaysia XI for the AIA Cup in Kuala Lumpur on May 27 at the Shah Alam Stadium. The team will then head on to Australia for a friendly against Sydney FC at the ANZ Stadium on May 30.
The Malaysian match is sponsored by Spurs’ principal club partner AIA. It is the first time the club has played in Malaysia since 1979.
AIA Group is the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group with operations in 17 markets in Asia-Pacific. AIA Bhd. is a leading insurer in Malaysia where it has been in business since 1948.
The Malaysian stop on the end-season tour is an opportunity for the club to engage more directly with its growing fanbase in the Asia-pacific region where it has been making a concerted push over the past year.
The club recently launched a dedicated Chinese-language site on the Netease platform in China and has estimated its fanbase in the Far East at 170 million. It has more than 100 supporters clubs worldwide with the supporters club in Malaysia being formed in 2010.
First team players and legends will take part in meet and greet opportunities with supporters as part of the visit. The squad will also take part in community activities in Kuala Lumpur alongside AIA.
Mauricio Pochettino, Head Coach, Tottenham Hotspur, said: “We are well aware of the passionate following we have across Asia and the well-established Supporters Club that we have in Malaysia, and hope that we can put on a fantastic show for them on the night as a way of thanking them for the continued support they give us from the other side of the world every week.
“Our Global Coaching team will be working alongside the Tour in both Kuala Lumpur and Sydney towards the joint goal we have set with AIA – providing increased sporting opportunities and promoting health and wellbeing across the Asia-Pacific region.”
This message was echoed by Bill Lisle, Chief Executive Officer, AIA Bhd., who said: “Spurs shares AIA’s commitment to the role sport can play in promoting healthy living and we are working closely to deliver that important message through the matches, football clinics and other community outreach initiatives AIA in Malaysia will be organising with Spurs during their upcoming tour to Kuala Lumpur.”
Tickets are already on sale at www.ticketpro.com.my and are targeted at Spurs fans regionally. Julian Kam, Group CEO of Official Match Promoter, ProEvents, said: “This fantastic news to all Tottenham Hotspur fans in Malaysia and thousands more from neighbouring countries such as Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Brunei, who we hope to see at Shah Alam Stadium on the night.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734920585labto1734920585ofdlr1734920585owedi1734920585sni@n1734920585osloh1734920585cin.l1734920585uap1734920585