Phnom Penh, 04 June 2023 – AIA (Cambodia) Life Insurance Plc’s (“AIA Cambodia”) championing of the AIA-ISF Youth League to uplift underprivileged children saw the leading life insurer extend their principal sponsorship of the nation’s largest grassroots football competition for another three years.
The extension, from 2024-26 and made public at the League’s Grand Championship, will allow more youngsters to participate, play the beautiful game in a secure, conducive environment and equip them with the skills to discover opportunities that come their way.
The final play-off at the AIA Stadium, KMH Park featured 144 talented youngsters from 12 teams that won the Kampong Thom and Phnom Penh leagues. This year’s championship, the seventh in the series and one that featured a six-province format, commenced in January with Kampong Thom making their debut. The AIA-ISF Youth League Grand Championship was introduced last year.
Indochina Starfish Foundation (“ISF”) staff had more reasons to celebrate when AIA Cambodia provided them AIA ComCare and AIA MedCare group insurance solutions at the Grand Championship as a gesture of appreciation. The market-leading products come with essential benefits that comprise life insurance plus coverage that includes critical illnesses, accidents, hospital allowance and overseas emergency assistance.
AIA Cambodia kicked off their partnership with ISF in 2017 to transform the lives of thousands of underprivileged Cambodian children. According to the UNICEF in Cambodia Country Programme 2019-23, nearly 49% of children live in multidimensional poverty.
Utilizing a two-pronged approach focusing on education and sports, the collaboration leverages football to inculcate universally-recognized values such as teamwork, sportsmanship and integrity to enrich the lives of these children. It enables them to remain active and reap the advantages that come from leading a healthy lifestyle.
Since its inception, the League has enjoyed the undivided support of the AIA Group and English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur (“Spurs”), AIA’s global principal partner. It has welcomed more than 7,000 underprivileged youth, a number of them who now play for local professional clubs while others have been named to the Cambodian national team.
It has also proved an inspiring experiences for others. In May, AIA Cambodia flew four ISF students to London to act as match-day mascots in a Spurs match. The four, who walked out on the pitch alongside club players, had never been on an airplane or travelled abroad.
While the League is the focal point, AIA Cambodia adds to its appeal with related initiatives. These include flying in Spurs’ Global Football Development coaches on a regular basis to Phnom Penh to work with league participants and train ISF’s volunteer coaches.
Later this month, the AIA Group will send 24 ISF students on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the AIA-Spurs Elite Football Camp in Koh Samui, Thailand, to train under Spurs’ coaches during a six-day program.
These initiatives, which showcase AIA Cambodia’s strategy as a champion of sports, are in line with the insurer’s journey towards “Better & Beyond” to achieve their purpose of helping all Cambodians live Healthier, Longer and Better Lives. They also keep to the AIA Group’s AIA One Billion initiative, which looks to help one billion people in Asia do the same by 2030.
Mr. Andrew Loh said: “We are proud to extend our sponsorship of the League and continue our win-win partnership with ISF, one of country’s most respected NGOs. And we are honored to offer them our AIA ComCare and AIA MedCare solutions to better protect themselves financially and give them ease of mind in facing whatever challenges life may bring.
“Together with ISF, AIA Cambodia will strengthen our strategy to create sporting champions by looking to extend the League to other provinces in the coming years. We want more underprivileged children across Cambodia to live Healthier, Longer and Better Lives, make use of the many positives football can bring and learn values that allow them to create the future they desire and deserve.”
For details on AIA Cambodia’s health-based marketing initiatives, please email kh.marketing@aia.com. For information on AIA Cambodia’s comprehensive life, critical illness, accident solutions, and medical coverage, contact AIA Client Care at 086 999 242, visit aia.com.kh or browse www.facebook.com/AIACambodia.
About AIA Cambodia
AIA (Cambodia) Life Insurance Plc (“AIA Cambodia”) is a member of AIA Group Limited, the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group with branches and subsidiaries in 18 markets.
AIA Cambodia is guided by our purpose to help Cambodians live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives. Since commencing business in 2017, we’ve become the first life and health insurer to provide coverage on 26 critical illnesses. As among the Kingdom’s premier insurers, AIA Cambodia today offers market-leading life and health solutions for all walks of life ranging from tailor-made crucial coverage plans that include critical illnesses, accidents, medical insurance and overseas emergency assistance.
We focus on building an inclusive society that benefits from a healthy lifestyle, achieving this via community-first initiatives that include partnering the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to further empower gender equality and women’s rights and raising breast cancer awareness through our annual Fit for Hope campaign.
AIA Cambodia also uplifts thousands of underprivileged children by sponsoring the AIA-ISF Youth League – Cambodia’s largest grassroots football league. We collaborate with AIA’s global principal partner, English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, to ensure these children receive the education they deserve.
AIA Cambodia is the only Cambodian life insurer awarded HR Asia’s “Best Companies to Work for in Asia” for three consecutive years, from 2020 to 2022. Headquartered in Phnom Penh, the company currently has branches in Siem Reap, Kampot, Kampong Cham and Battambang.
