Football, probably the most popular sports that is being played and watched by millions of people around the world. In Singapore, football is our most popular sport, we Singaporeans love football, either playing or watching football. This sport is something close to our hearts, it can be a national discussion topic at times, sometimes it is always a topic very close to our hearts and soul that we talk a lot about.
With such love and passion for football, Epson Singapore together with Sinad Sports jointly announced the launch of the inaugural Epson Singapore Cup 2016 this coming September. I was at the media launch event for the inaugural Epson Singapore Cup 2016 and it was great news to hear what Epson Singapore have been doing for the local community particularly for the football community in Singapore.
This is part (and the latest initiative) of Epson Singapore corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives by the technology giant to extend its outreach efforts in the local communities that they opeates in. This is great news for the football community in Singapore, bringing football to grassroots level and for the kids to play, participate, compete and enjoy football.
“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 number one 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 Epson Singapore Cup represents our continuous commitment to inspire and empower our youths,” said Mr Toshimitsu Tanaka, Managing Director of Epson’s regional office in Singapore.
Exciting prizes await the winners too, the champion from the U15 competition will receive a 2-day training stint at Valencia CF Soccer School in Singapore, while the champion from the U17 competition will win the grand prize of a 5-day overseas training stint at Matsumoto Yamaga Football Club, one of Japan’s top J2 football clubs.
Even though the Epson Singapore Cup 2016 is a competition with prizes to be won, the organisers are not just doing this as a competition only. They have plans to engage the grassroots, the football community of players and fans, the children playing and competing in the tournament.
The participating teams can look forward to learning valuable footballing lessons from the coaches and football idols –
- On 3 & 4 September, prior to the start of the tournament, VCF Soccer Schools Technical Director in Southeast Asia, Mr. Gonzalo Sanz, and the Head Coach for Geylang International Football Club, Mr Hasrin Jailani, will meet with participating teams to offer pointers on playing 7-a-side matches.
- During the tournament days, players from Geylang International Football Club will take turns to “walk the grounds”, observe, offer advice and cheer on the teams.
- On 10 September, the two finalist teams from each category will have a closed-door session with former national football legends and star players. They will also find out how to better prepare themselves ahead of the finals.
Source: Epson Singapore press release
Remember to check out Epson Singapore and Geylang International Football Club Facebook Pages for updates!
“Epson Singapore Cup was borne out of a common desire to reach out to as many youths as possible, to fuel their passion and to learn from the best in the field. By partnering key players, especially those in the local football community, we hope that the Cup can bring aspiring footballers a step closer to realizing their dreams. We are certainly looking forward to an exciting tournament and I encourage fans to join us and cheer on the participating teams. In addition, we hope that this tournament will become a viable platform for talents to be discovered, thereby contributing to raising the standard of play for the sport locally, regionally and even globally,” said Ms Tan May Lin, Epson Singapore’s General Manager (Sales, Marketing & Customer Service Division).
“The Euros 2016 in France has proven to us that the size of a country is no limitation to its capacity to excel in sports. Iceland, with its population of about 330,000, was one of the talking points of an otherwise ordinary tournament. It’s as much about identifying and nurturing talents as well as providing them with the right infrastructure and avenues to fulfill their potential. The Epson Singapore Cup is about going back to the grassroots – to the football loving masses. Throwing the youngsters the challenge of showing us what they have in them and opening up their horizons to learn from the more experienced and successful in the sport. We hope that many will grab this unique opportunity and make the Epson Singapore Cup a long-term feature in our football calendar”, said Mr. Jeremy Chan, Chairman of Sinad Sports Pte Ltd.
Source: Epson Singapore Press Release
Personally, I also echo the words and thoughts of Ms Tan May Lin and Mr Jeremy Chan. Looking at how Iceland shook up European football (at the same time, attracting world footballing community attention and affection) with just a population of 330,000, I really hope that Singapore football can one day in the future make an impact in a similar manner too.
If you like to play and compete in Epson Singapore Cup 2016, you need to look for your fellow players of the same age group, form your football team and register for the inaugural Epson Singapore Cup 2016.
Here are the important details and timeline that all participants need to take note of –
Key Dates
- 31 August 2016: Closing date for registration of teams
- 3 & 4 September 2016:
– 3rd September: U15 group matches
– 4th September: U17 group matches
– Pre-match session with coaching professionals
- 10 September 2016:
-Quarter Finals, Semi Finals, and Final Matches
-Finalist teams: Pre-match session with local football legends and national star players
- End 2016:
-U15 Winning Team: Training stint at Valencia CF Soccer School in Singapore
-U17 Winning Team: Training stint at Matsumoto Yamaga Football Club in Japan
Who can Qualify
The Epson Singapore Cup 2016 is open to Singaporeans/PRs, excluding all national players, up to the ages of 15 years old (for the U15 Category), and 17 years old (for the U17 Category).
Interested youths will need to form a team of seven players to apply, along with 1 coach. Registration fees apply. Details of the terms and conditions are available in the registration form.
Tournament Format
7-a-side, Round-robin
Details and Registration
www.epson.com.sg/epsonsgcup2016
Epson Singapore Cup 2016 Fixtures
| Date | Time | Match | Venue |
| 3 & 4 September
(Saturday / Sunday) |
8:30am to 2:30pm | Group matches:
|
SAFRA Tampines |
| 10 September
(Saturday) |
8:30am to 2:30pm | Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals Finals |
SAFRA Tampines |
To all the young boys, gather your friends of your same age, form a team (please remember to inform your parents!) register and play in the Epson Singapore Cup 2016. Do your best and see how far you can go in football, at the same time, enjoy playing football and have lots of fun. Football is not just about playing and kicking the football on the pitch against your opponents, football is about camaraderie, teamwork, friendship and bonding. This is also a golden opportunity to learn, improve footballing skills, techniques and gaining invaluable footballing experience.
Spread the news, tell your friends to form a football team together, register, compete and have fun in the upcoming inaugural Epson Singapore Cup 2016! Go for your footballing dreams, just do it! Last but not least, kids, have fun and enjoy yourself on the football pitch!
I would like to thank Epson Singapore and Asia PR Werkz for the invitation to the inaugural Epson Singapore Cup 2016 media launch and providing the information and details on the inaugural Epson Singapore Cup 2016.
* Information, details and Epson Singapore Cup logo courtesy of Epson Singapore and Asia PR Werkz *