Tottenham Hotspur & AIA announce support for ISF Cambodia
April 30, 2021
UK football team, Tottenham Hotspur, will wear special edition match shirts supporting NGO ISF Cambodia during the club’s Premier League home match against Sheffield United on 2 May, as part of AIA’s long-term partnership with Tottenham Hotspur to promote health and wellness across the Asia-Pacific region.
This opportunity will bring much-needed fundraising and awareness for 2020 Beyond Sport Global Award Shortlisters, ISF Cambodia and the Spurs Foundation. The club will replace the life insurance group AIA’s logo on the front of the team’s shirts for the match and will include the charity on its pitch-side advertising to raise awareness.
The match-worn shirts will then be signed by players and auctioned off to raise funds for ISF and the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation who aims to create life-changing opportunities for people across its local community.
ISF uses education to transform the lives of thousands of underprivileged children in Cambodia, a country where 44.2% of children face multi-dimensional poverty, insufficient housing, inadequate or no education, poor healthcare, sanitation and nutrition. These children also include adolescents with disabilities and HIV. The Cambodian and Buddhist belief is that those with disabilities and HIV have sinned in a previous life and “deserve” their afflictions.
Vicheka Chourp, ISF’s Country Manager said, “We are thankful to receive this invaluable support through ISF’s partnership with Tottenham Hotspurs and AIA. This is not only a great recognition of our work; it is, even more, a motivation for us to continue supporting thousands of underprivileged children in Cambodia - making a difference, one child at time.”
For the past 14 years, ISF has been working to end stigmas and exclusion, increase access to education, lift people out of poverty and give children safe opportunities to play and to picture brighter futures for themselves - “no matter where they come from, no matter who their parents are, no matter what gender, creed or colour.” For the past seven years, it has directly addressed social exclusion and social and economic discrimination with its All Abilities project.
“Football can empower communities regardless of their abilities,” said Chourp. “The overall goal of the football program is not to produce football players, but to give children the opportunity to be children and also to be part of society.” The Sports for All Abilities project from ISF was a 2020 Beyond Sport Global Awards shortlisted program in the Sport for Reduced Inequalities Category and they were recipients of the Xiaomi Community Recognition Grant in 2018 during the Beyond Sport Global Awards.
AIA Cambodia has worked with ISF for several years and Tottenham Hotspur’s Global Football Development coaches also spent time in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, working with participants and volunteer coaches to support ISF’s grassroots football initiative. A few of ISF’s participants have been selected to be virtual mascots for next week’s match.
Donna-Maria Cullen, Executive Director at Tottenham Hotspur, said: “We have seen the positive impact of ISF Cambodia in Phnom Penh first-hand and are pleased to be supporting such a worthwhile cause to help raise its profile and valuable funds, alongside our partners at AIA.
“As a football club with a truly global platform, we have extensive experience in using the power of sport to create life-changing opportunities at home and abroad.