Tuesday, 11 May 2010 1:30 PM
MEDIA INFORMATION
Football Association of Singapore
100 Tyrwhitt Road, #01-02 Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore 207542=20
Tel: (65) 6293 1477 Fax: (65) 6293 3728
www.fas.org.sg
For immediate release
Tough draw for invited teams in RHB Singapore Cup 2010
Debut teams South Melbourne and Kitchee SC face strong challenge.
SINGAPORE, 1 May 2010: The draw for the 2010 RHB Singapore Cup took place this afternoon at Bukit Panjang Plaza, with the four invited teams drawn in arguably the tougher half.
League champions Singapore Armed Forces FC and current league pace-setters Gombak United and Etoile FC were all drawn in the same half as the invited teams who hail from Australia, Cambodia, Hong Kong and Thailand.
South Melbourne and Kitchee were officially announced as the two new teams invited to take part in this year competition alongside 2009 RHB Singapore Cup finalist Bangkok Glass and Phnom Penh Crown.
South Melbourne faces a tough debut having drawn S.League high flyers Gombak United who are incidentally coached by Australian Darren Stewart.
Said South Melbourne chairman Nick Galatas, “South Melbourne FC is excited to be a part of this year RHB Singapore Cup. It is a fantastic tournament with a growing reputation which includes some of the top clubs in the region. We look forward to our first match against Gombak United.”
Hong Kong side Kitchee SC will face S.League newcomers Beijing Guoan Talent in their maiden appearance in the RHB Singapore Cup.
Said Ken Ng, Chairman of Kitchee SC, “It is an arrangement with foresight on the part of FAS to invite the foreign teams to participate in the Singapore Cup, as the opportunity offers all the teams, Singaporean or foreign alike, some valuable experience to learn from international or regional oppositions. It also promotes relationships within the football fraternity of Singapore and the regions where the invited teams come from. We hope that the Singapore fans will enjoy our style of play, which is quite unique in Hong Kong.”
The Warriors face a tough tie against Bangkok Glass while Cup holders Geylang United will begin their defence of the trophy away to Balestier Khalsa. Phnom Penh Crown, who will be making their fourth consecutive appearance in the competition, will take on 2010 League Cup winners Etoile FC.
Commenting on the new additions, Mr Jason Wong, Country Head of RHB Bank Singapore, said, “We believe that this welcomed addition will add much vibrancy and excitement to the local football scene. The opportunity of playing against foreign teams from countries such as Australia, Cambodia, Hong Kong and Thailand will expose our players to strong competition, which is fundamental in driving the development of local football talent. In addition, the introduction of a World Class Youth Development Syllabus and development of a National Training Centre as emphasised in the FAS 2010-2015 Strategic Plan will be key to the nurturing of local talent.”
Mayor Zainudin said, “It is a privilege for the Cup to be associated with the bank that has been noted not just for its support of local football but also its pioneering approach to business service and its active involvement in the community. The RHB Singapore Cup is now one of the region’s premier tournaments and we look forward to continuing our close partnership with RHB Singapore to elevate the
Singapore Cup to far greater heights.”
As title sponsor of the Cup, RHB Bank Singapore extended their sponsorship of the prestigious regional football tournament in 2008 for another three years, bringing its total sponsorship value to $3 million.
RHB Bank also actively engages in football-related community initiatives, such as its sponsorship of the NTU Goal for Fund charity event and formation of the St. Andrew Junior School football club, Saints FC.
This year, RHB will be bringing its community efforts up a notch by organising football clinics, together with the Singapore Sports Council and the FAS, throughout the year for underprivileged children. This first of these special training sessions was conducted for the children of the Association of Persons with Special Needs (APSN) with players from the Young Lions in February this year.
Elaborating on RHB’s community efforts, Mr Wong said, “The sport of football provides an invigorating learning platform to create memorable experiences and at the same time, teach our youth important lessons such as sportsmanship, determination and teamwork. This is a worthy cause that RHB will stay committed to and we hope to continue reaching out to the community through more specially-organised sports
activities.”
The first RHB Singapore Cup 2010 match is scheduled to kick off on 24 May 2010 with the final taking place on Sunday 14 November 2010.
Please find attached fixtures for 2010 RHB Singapore Cup Draw.
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About RHB Banking Group
The RHB Banking Group is the fourth largest fully integrated financial products and services group in Malaysia. It gives focus on four Strategic Business Units comprising Retail Banking, Corporate & Investment Banking, Islamic Banking and International Banking are collectively grouped under RHB Capital Bhd, which is listed on Bursa
Malaysia.
RHB Bank is the fourth largest bank in Malaysia with total assets of over RM86 billion and shareholders funds of RM4.6 billion (as at September 2007). It is one of 10 anchor banks in Malaysia with over 180 branches throughout the region.
For more information on RHB Banking Group please log on to www.rhb.com.my
About RHB Bank Singapore
In Singapore, RHB Bank was first established in 1961 and is a fulllicensed bank with a network of 7 branches situated strategically in various locations and 2 Bureau De Change at the Singapore Changi Airport. As a full-licensed bank, we offer a comprehensive range of financial products and services including consumer, commercial and corporate, treasury and investment banking.
For more information on RHB Bank Singapore log on to www.rhbbank.com.sg
