Soccer goes forward with Standard Chartered
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Children who took part in the first
stage of the Standard Chartered “Go Forward” Soccer Camp |
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Children in
action during the Standard Chartered “Go Forward” Soccer
Camp. |
The Go Forward programme, initiated by the Standard Chartered Bank
along with a partnership with Liverpool Football Club (LFC) to discover
soccer talent and afford opportunities for financial literacy to inner
city communities - in Sri Lanka, was held recently at the Maligawatte
Municipal Council Grounds.
The Go Forward initiative is conducted by the Football Federation of
Sri Lanka and Thaarunyata Hetak organization. The launching ceremony was
attended by British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka John Rankin and other
distinguished invitees, Standard Chartered Bank Chief Executive Officer
Anirvan Ghosh Dastidar, and senior management,.
"The Bank's "Go Forward" initiative together with LFC, in Sri Lanka,
will aim to reach out to 1000 of Colombo's inner city youth between the
ages of 8 to 15 years within one year. The initiative's objectives are
to popularize football and identify potential talent, and to
empower/educate the youth on financial literacy via the soccer camps
conducted in various parts of the island. Liverpool Football Club has
committed to fly down coaches later this year for a soccer clinic - an
opportunity for the youth to learn, and demonstrate their talent." said
Anirvan Ghosh Dastidar, CEO, Standard Chartered Bank.
Standard Chartered has been the sponsor of Liverpool Football Club
since July 2010. Since becoming sponsors, the Bank has teamed up with
LFC to raise awareness and funds for avoidable blindness and visual
impairment - joining forces on everything from global soccer clinics to
half time activities involving visually impaired young people.
The "Go Forward" initiative aims to conduct special coaching camps in
6 inner-city venues. Its ultimate aim is to identify and select a team
representing the top talent from within this group and to this end,
soccer matches will be played on a round robin basis and 2 final teams
will be selected. The best of these players - the Sri Lanka Go Forward
Team - will thereafter play matches against school and club teams.
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