The Tottenhan Hotspur Soccer training program initiated by the Children and Youth Dream Fund co-founded by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) and Jaguar Land Rover China has arrived in Shanghai. A launch ceremony for the program was held on July 19.
This is the second year that the Children and Youth Dream Fund has cooperated with the Tottenhan Hotspur Football Club, an English professional football club.
Representatives from CSCLF, Jaguar Land Rover China, the Shanghai government, and Tottenhan Hotspur, as well as nearly 150 teachers, students, and reporters, attended the ceremony.
Cheng Liang, former leader of the Shanghai Shenghua Team, was also among the attendees.
The Tottenhan Hotspur Soccer training program initiated by the Children and Youth Dream Fund co-founded by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) and Jaguar Land Rover China has arrived in Shanghai. A ceremony to launch the program was held in the city on July 19. [Photo/CSCLF]
The training program aims to bring the soccer-learning philosophies of Tottenhan Hotspur to China. A number of physical education teachers and students will have the opportunity to receive training from professional Tottenhan Hotspur soccer players.
Around 40,000 teachers and students from 37 middle and primary schools in Shanghai are expected to benefit from the program, and a number of prominent trainees will have the chance to participate in a Tottenhan Hotspur training camp in the UK.
The program began as a response to the Chinese government's call to improve soccer skills among Chinese teenagers.
Song Jian, deputy director of the Fund Department of CSCLF, delivers a speech at the launch ceremony for the Tottenhan Hotspur Soccer training program. [Photo/CSCLF]
Song Jian, deputy director of the Fund Department of CSCLF, delivered a speech in which she expressed hope that the program would bring new educational philosophies to physical education teachers and increase interest in sports among teenagers.
Anthea Wang, executive vice-president of Public Relations and Corporate Communications at Jaguar Land Rover China, said that they have been committed to promoting soccer in Chinese schools for the past five years in hopes of improving the quality of soccer training, and producing better young soccer players.
Children receive training from Tottenhan Hotspur soccer players. [Photo/CSCLF]
A Tottenhan Hotspur coach teaches soccer to students. [Photo/CSCLF]
Andy Rogers, head of Global Football Development at Tottenham Hotspur, along with Ose Aibangbee, the coach of renowned soccer player Harry Cane, who has won the World Cup Golden Boot, and David Howells, who has won the FA Cup, were also present to help train both teachers and students.
Rogers said that they were both honored to work with the Children and Youth Dream Fund again. He said they would share their soccer teaching philosophies with Chinese teachers and students.
He anticipated for more interaction with the 42 physical education teachers participating in the program, and hoped student's soccer skills would improve after several days of training.
Children participating in the soccer training program pose for a photo. [Photo/CSCLF]
Background
In May 2014, the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) launched the Jaguar Land Rover China Children and Youth Dream Fund along with Jaguar Land Rover China. Thus far, more than 250,000 teenagers have benefited from the program. In April 2018, CSCLF signed a second cooperation agreement with Jaguar Land Rover China.
The program has been committed to promoting soccer among middle and primary school students. Since 2016, when Tottenhan joined the project, nearly 100,000 teenagers from around 80 schools in Guangzhou and Chengdu have benefited from the program.
(Source: Fund Department of CSCLF)
