SINGAPORE - Youth footballers under 15 and under 17 will get a chance to compete in a nationwide seven-a-side competition later this year.
The inaugural Epson Singapore Cup 2016 was launched on Thursday and will be held in September.
The champions will each win a once-in-a-lifetime training stint at the Valencia CF Soccer School in Singapore and the Matsumoto Yamaga Football Club in Japan.
And all participants will benefit from receiving professional guidance from coaches and footballers, ahead of and during the tournament.
The tournament will be held at Safra Tampines. The preliminary matches will take place on Sept 3-4. The top eight teams in each age group will then proceed to matches on Sept 10 for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals.
The Epson Singapore Cup is the latest corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative by the technology giant and is co-organised by Sinad Sports.
Epson's other recent CSR efforts include a one-year sponsorship agreement with Geylang International Football Club since February and an overseas training stint for local youth players at Matsumoto Yamaga Football Club, Japan, last month.
"Epson's roots are in sports because the first Epson printer was developed from a printing device we created for the 1964 Olympics. Since then, our brand is closely associated with sports. Football is the world's No. 1 sport and it has enabled us to reach out to both individuals and businesses, to the young and old, to men and women who follow the game. It is also a sport that fosters values like self-confidence, teamwork and positive thinking among its fans, especially with youths. Youth development is an integral element of our CSR focus in Singapore and around the region - and we believe that the Epson Singapore Cup represents our continuous commitment to inspire and empower our youths," said Toshimitsu Tanaka, managing director of Epson's regional office in Singapore.
On Sept 3-4, prior to the kick-off, VCF Soccer Schools technical director in South-east Asia, Gonzalo Sanz, and Geylang's head coach Hasrin Jailani, will offer tips on playing seven-a-side matches to participating teams.
On Sept 10, the two finalists from each category will enjoy a closed-door session with former national football players, where they can learn how to better prepare themselves ahead of the final.
The U-17 winners will get to go on a five-day overseas training stint at Matsumoto Yamaga Football Club. The winning U-15 team will receive a two-day training stint at Valencia CF Soccer School in Singapore.
Fans have not been forgotten either. An online contest for them to meet Geylang's star players and win exclusive merchandise will be held from Thursday to Aug 31. Details are available on the official Facebook pages of Epson Singapore and Geylang International.
Registration for the Epson Singapore Cup opens from today till Aug 31. Details and registration forms at www.epson.com.sg/epsonsgcup2016.
