AIA recognises that sports play a vital role in promoting a healthy lifestyle and has been advocating football as one of the most relevant sporting platforms through its partnership with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (Spurs). Today, AIA Hong Kong announced that it is taking its commitment a step further by sponsoring Hong Kong Football Club's (HKFC) Junior Soccer Programme and Youth Development Pathway. In addition, AIA Hong Kong will work closely with HKFC to enable students at local schools to receive professional football training from Spurs coaches through AIA Foundation. 

This collaboration marks an exciting new chapter in the AIA Hong Kong's efforts to deliver a comprehensive football programme with the aim of promoting a healthy lifestyle and associated positive values in the community. It will complement the annual AIA-Tottenham Hotspur Football Fun Day, which AIA Hong Kong has been hosting since 2017, with structured, formal training to help selected children develop their football potential. 

Mr. Peter Crewe, Chief Executive Officer of AIA Hong Kong & Macau, said, “Active participation in sports is the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. Over the years, we have continued to leverage our long-standing partnership with Spurs to promote football as a popular sport and provide education around the benefits of regular exercise. AIA Hong Kong is proud to have scored a new goal in our commitment to promoting football by collaborating with Hong Kong Football Club to provide professional training and make the game more accessible to the community. Through this sponsorship, we continue to create shared value for society by helping people live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.”

AIA Hong Kong's comprehensive football programme includes: 

HKFC's Junior Soccer Programme and Youth Development Pathway
One of the biggest programmes of its kind in Hong Kong, HKFC's Junior Soccer Programme is open to registration by the public and offers professional training to players between the ages of 5 and 14 to learn and improve football skills in a fun and friendly environment. Junior Soccer teams regularly compete in local leagues and international tournaments. High performing players are identified for placement in HKFC's Youth Development Pathway, where they undergo special training to prepare them for HKFC's Youth Football Team. With AIA Foundation's sponsorship, more places in the Junior Soccer Programme will be designated for less privileged children from NGOs such as Po Leung Kuk. This will broaden access to football and encourage participation in sports in the community.

Community and School Outreach Programme
The collaboration with HKFC also includes a School Outreach Programme through the support of AIA Foundation. HKFC will coordinate with local schools to have Spurs coaches develop and implement a formal training programme for the students, offering them a rewarding opportunity to develop their football skills while staying fit and making lasting friendships through enjoyable and uplifting activities.

Participants in the School Outreach Programme will have the opportunity to compete with elite football teams from local charities, schools and other community groups at football tournaments. 

AIA-Tottenham Hotspur Football Fun Day
AIA Hong Kong will continue to host the annual AIA-Tottenham Hotspur Football Fun Day, offering a valuable experience for selected children and providing advice for their parents through talks on healthy eating and exercise. The event also serves as a platform to identify players with strong potential to attend an all-expense-paid six-day, five-night Elite Football Training Camp in Phuket, Thailand and/or to participate in HKFC's Youth Development Pathway.

AIA Hong Kong and AIA Macau are subsidiaries of AIA Group Limited. AIA Group Limited established its operations in Hong Kong in 1931. To date, we have over 16,500 AIA financial planners¹, as well as an extensive network of brokerage and bancassurance partners. We serve over 3 million customers², offering them a wide selection of professional services and products ranging from individual life, group life, accident, medical and health, mandatory provident fund, personal lines insurance to investment-linked products with numerous investment options. We are also dedicated to providing superb product solutions to meet the financial needs of high net worth customers.

¹as at March 2019
² AIA Hong Kong internal data includes Hong Kong and Macau's individual life, group insurance and mandatory provident fund customers (as at 31 March 2019)