Phnom Penh, 24 June 2019 – A total of 24 children have been selected by English Premier League’s Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (“Spurs”) to receive scholarships to a world-class training programme at the AIA Elite Football Camp in Phuket, Thailand, organised by AIA (Cambodia) Life Insurance Plc (“AIA Cambodia”). The 6-day training programme, set to begin on 27 July 2019 at the Thanyapura Health & Sports Resort, aims at helping children develop healthy lifestyle habits while providing them with the opportunity to access world-class football facilities and coaching.
Cambodian parents protected by AIA from between 15 March to 31 May 2019 were offered the opportunity for their child to attend an evaluation session run by Spurs coaches at AIA Stadium on 08 June 2019. The goal of the evaluation session was to find the children with the highest level of footballing ability and of discipline. AIA Cambodia also organised 4 pre-evaluation sessions open to all eligible children free of charge to help them develop their skills and boost their chances of being selected.
Spurs Coach Anton Blackwood said: “It was encouraging to see the level of talent from the kids at the evaluation session, which made our decision extremely hard as there was only a limited number of scholarships available. We are confident that we have now chosen a group of kids with real potential that we can help develop when we begin the full training programme in Phuket next month.”
The training programme will be run by Spurs’ International Development Coaches with the aim of developing the children’s footballing skills and fitness through drills and matches. There will also be specialist training in developing personality along with lessons and practical dietary arrangement for optimum nutrition. The entire scholarship programme is fully financed by AIA Cambodia.
AIA is the Global Principal Partner of Tottenham Hotspur, a leading football club in the English Premier League that recently reached the final of the prestigious Champions League football tournament. As part of this partnership, Spurs have permanently based two of their elite-level coaching staff within Asia to assist AIA in helping young people develop their interest in football. Together, the two sides have organised a variety of football initiatives that have helped thousands of kids and adults in Cambodia live healthier, longer, better lives.
AIA management Pauline Teoh said: “We are excited that, through our partnership with a global footballing powerhouse like Tottenham Hotspur, we can provide local children access to world-class training opportunities. We hope this initiative will have a significant impact upon the future of football in Cambodia while helping to spread our core message about how exercise is fundamental to a healthy lifestyle.”
About AIA Cambodia
AIA (Cambodia) Life Insurance Plc (“AIA Cambodia”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of AIA Group Limited (“AIA” or “the Group”), the largest life insurer in the world by market capitalisation.
The Group has a presence in 18 markets in Asia-Pacific – wholly-owned branches and subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, New Zealand, Macau, Brunei, Cambodia, a 97 per cent subsidiary in Sri Lanka, a 49 percent joint venture in India and a representative office in Myanmar. AIA is a market leader in the Asia-Pacific region (ex-Japan) based on life insurance premiums and holds leading positions across the majority of its markets. It had total assets of US$230 billion as of 31 December 2018. Through an extensive network of agents, partners and employees across Asia-Pacific, AIA serves the holders of more than 33 million individual policies and over 16 million participating members of group insurance schemes.
AIA Cambodia offers market-leading life insurance products and services to meet the growing need for financial protection and long-term savings of people in Cambodia. AIA Cambodia is committed to contributing to the Kingdom’s economic and social development over the long term, and help Cambodians live healthier, longer, better lives.
About Tottenham Hotspur
Founded in 1882, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club has a tradition of playing an entertaining and attacking style of football. The team finished fourth in the 2018/2019 Premier League season, securing UEFA Champions League qualification for a fourth year in a row and were a Champions League finalist this year for the first time in their history.
Tottenham Hotspur also has:
- A global following in excess of 400 million, with strong supporter bases across the UK, Europe, USA and Asia
- Over 190 Official Supporters Clubs worldwide, including a fully mobilised and active Club in Cambodia
- A newly-built state-of-the-art training centre with a new world class stadium opening soon that will sit at the heart of a major regeneration for North London
- Commercial partnerships with globally-recognised brands including AIA Group Limited (AIA), one of the world's leading providers of life insurance services, and Nike, the world’s leading sports footwear and apparel company
