On Sunday, 7 November, the National Football Centre was host to the opening of the second Phnom Penh Youth League.
Early in the day, the laughter and smiles of around 700 young football players welcomed Kevin Burke, Managing Director Head of Distribution, Asia Pacific, representing Barclays Capital to open the new season with his speech. Also attending the day were team sponsors, Stuart Davy (Andong Community) from Singapore and Dubai Exiles (Sunrise Girls Team).
ISF has for the last four years provided football training for disadvantaged children in and around Phnom Penh.
Now for the second year, additional to the weekly football training, ISF provides in co-operation with the Football Federation of Cambodia youth leagues, in which children from a total of 18 organizations participate.
A total of 52 teams registered to play in the league, which is divided into five categories.
While the under 17 boys are not starting their league until January 2011, all the other teams joined this one day tournament.
20 minutes, seven-a-side games were played on a quarter of the regular pitch, which saw 8 teams in each category progress to the knockout-stages.
The quality of the football displayed fascinated the sponsors, the representatives of FFC and partner organizations, coaches and the hundreds of children cheering for their friends.
In the under 18 girls division, ISF made a strong statement (that after winning the league last year); they are also going to be the team to beat this season! Six games, all wins, not conceding one goal, reflected their dominance, made them the winner of the day.
For the first time ISF organized an under 10 division with mixed teams.
The Sunshine team managed to deal with a heavy rain shower better than their final opposition ISF and secured victory with a 1:0 win.
The under 14-division is divided into two categories: the Champions and the Premier League.
10 teams each hope to bring the Barclays Capital trophy home in March 2011 when the final of the four month season is scheduled.
Kevin Burke, Barclays Capital
The opening was a good taste of fast and competitive football to follow, with the two Champions League youth teams PP-Crown and PKR determined to make up for their disappointment during the opening tournament.
It was the Komar Takmau team from Kandal province who grabbed the tournament victory by winning the final against the Aziza team, 3:1 in the Champions division.
The Premier League saw ISF make it into the finals, meeting up the Hagar team who managed to win both quarter and semi finals in penalty shootout. But in the final, their luck run out and they lost 0:1, making the ISF team the winners of the day.
Kevin Burke, representing sponsor Barclays Capital, encouraged the children to enjoy themselves – and sure, they did!
The opening leaves everybody excited for what is going to come in the next four months with the regular league starting this following Sunday.
