Football fans will be able to enjoy the award of the first title of the local football season this Saturday, 29 September, when The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Cup is played at Mong Kok Stadium, title-sponsored by the Club for the fifth consecutive year.  A unique event that combines football with community engagement, this year's contest will see the 2017/18 Hong Kong Premier League champions and FA Cup winners Kitchee taking on Wofoo Tai Po, who were runners-up in both competitions. Kitchee will likewise be marking their fifth consecutive appearance in the Community Cup, while it will be a first for Wofoo Tai Po.

In keeping with the Club’s wide-ranging support for local youth football development, the main match will be preceded by two Junior Cup games, one featuring two teams from the Jockey Club U13 Youth League, and the other teams from the Jockey Club Girls League.  The Club believes there is no better way to recognise and encourage the skills of young players than by giving them an opportunity to play in front of a big crowd at a top-class venue.

The Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA), organiser of the HKJC Community Cup, revealed details of the event at a press conference today (27 September), alongside the Club’s Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges. “We support the Community Cup because we strongly believe in the benefits that football – like all sports – brings to our community, and especially to our young people,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges.  “This is a great opportunity for our stars of the future to showcase their skills in a professional venue”.

The HKJC Community Cup is one of numerous initiatives supported by the Club to nurture local football talent, using the sport to help develop Hong Kong’s young people not only physically but also mentally and socially.  Last month, in partnership with the HKFA and Manchester United Soccer School, the Club invited young footballers from the UK, Guangdong and Hong Kong for the second edition of the JC Youth Football Academy Summit, where they learned, trained and played together in a week-long programme, using the power of football to build cross-cultural bridges across.

The Hong Kong Football Association Chief Executive Officer Mark Sutcliffe said, “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Cup is always one of the highlights of the football calendar and this year is no exception. We are grateful to the Jockey Club for the on-going support they give to football, in particular their help in funding our community football development programmes. Due to the Jockey Club’s generous donation all of our professional clubs will benefit from the occasion as well as some deserving charities.”

Whatever this Saturday’s results, everyone will be a winner.  Kitchee and Wofoo Tai Po will share prize money of HK$350,000, as well as another HK$150,000 to be donated to two charities of their own choice, which they have already nominated as United Christian Hospital and Street Soccer Hong Kong respectively. A further HK$300,000 will be shared by the eight other Premier League clubs.  In addition, the HKFA will donate part of the day’s net proceeds to charities.  And as another way of benefiting the community, the Club will once again invite students and less-privileged people to enjoy the three games free of charge.

The Club has been a long-time supporter of local football development. In particular, it has collaborated with Manchester United since 2012 on a number of programmes designed to develop the physical, mental and social capabilities of young people. These include the JC Elite Youth Football Camp, the JC School Football Development Scheme, the JC Youth Football Leadership Scheme, the JC Youth Football Fitness Assessment, the JC Youth Soccer Skills Challenge and the JC Youth Football Academy Summit. The Club also supports the Jockey Club Youth Football Development Scheme, whose summer scheme is the largest such programme in Hong Kong. In 2015, the Club announced a HK$120 million donation to support the Jockey Club HKFA 5-Year Football Development Programme, which is aimed at promoting football across the community, including futsal and women’s football. In terms of infrastructure, the Club has supported the rebuilding of Hong Kong Stadium, the construction of the Jockey Club Kitchee Centre and the soon-to-open Tseung Kwan O Football Centre, which will provide an outstanding venue for Hong Kong’s football development.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charity and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2017/18, the Club made a record return to the Government of HK$22.6 billion in duty and profits tax and contributed HK$1.2 billion to the Lotteries Fund. Approved charity donations were HK$4.2 billion. The Club is Hong Kong's largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world's top ten charity donors. The Club is always "riding high together for a better future" with the people of Hong Kong.