SINGAPORE (6 March 2016) – The S.League is pleased to announce that home-grown food and beverage giant YEO’S has renewed its co-title sponsorship of the S.League, bringing the fruitful partnership to a 13th year. In addition, YEO’S will also be expanding its involvement in Singapore football, including the sponsorship of the H-TWO-O Ultimate Women’s Dream Team.
The partnership has already seen many successful initiatives such as the H-TWO-O/ITE Ultimate Dream Team Programme, which has unearthed and groomed several players from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) now enjoying careers in the S.League, such as Ignatius Ang (Warriors FC), Samuel Benjamin (Hougang United FC), Afiq Noor (Hougang United FC), Ashrul Syafeeq (Garena Young Lions) and more.
As part of its efforts to help grow Singapore football, YEO’S has now expanded its involvement beyond the S.League and into women’s football by sponsoring the H-TWO-O Ultimate Women’s Dream Team, which kicks off its Women’s Premier League (WPL) season today at Jalan Besar Stadium against Warriors FC.
Mr Lim Kia Tong, Vice President of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), said: “We are delighted that YEO’S is not only extending its co-title sponsorship of the Great Eastern-YEO’S S.League, but also widening its involvement with Singapore football with the new joint initiatives in women’s football and grassroots and youth football – two of our focus areas as we strive to expand the base of these players in Singapore.
“We are thankful to YEO’s for being the S.League’s partner for 13 years. Among other things, YEO’s has played a key role in the rising popularity of women’s football, both as a participant and spectator sport. This is exemplified in their support for the H-TWO-O Ultimate Women’s Dream Team.”
“Football is a key sport which has the ability to bond the nation and we look forward to further collaborations with YEO’s and other partners aimed at further raising the standards of Singapore football in all aspects,” added Mr Lim.
“As the S.League’s longest-running sponsor, we are indeed proud and honoured to continue to play an integral part in shaping the local football landscape. Football is a sport that brings a community together; as a home-grown brand, we hope our company can play a part in helping to foster community bonding and the strengthening of social cohesion,” affirmed Ms May Ngiam, 1st Vice President, YHS (Singapore) Pte Ltd.
“This year, one area of our development focus will be promoting women’s football. The objective is to provide equal opportunities for women to access the game, improve the quality of their skills through avenues such as the H-TWO-O Ultimate Women’s Dream Team training programme, and inspire more young girls and women to get involved in this sport. Singapore women’s football is still growing, and we believe there is still room for improvement in the area of elite player development,” stressed Ms Ngiam.
As a direct beneficiary of YEO’S involvement in local football, Ms Nuriah Mohd Noor, Team Captain of the H-TWO-O Ultimate Women’s Dream Team was full of praise for the partnership.
“YEO’S, through H-TWO-O, has been nothing but a wonderful sponsor and partner to the team. With their support, we have been given the opportunity to compete in the Women’s Premier League and Women’s Challenge Cup. The formation of the team has brought girls of all ages and backgrounds to come together and learn from one another through this game we all love,” Ms Nuriah enthused.
Ms Julie Teo, FAS’ General Manager of Grassroots & Women’s Football and Volunteer Management, was also positive about the sponsorship extension and what it would mean for women’s football in Singapore.
“Over the past year, we have stepped up efforts to promote women’s football and we are pleased to see its steady growth. This is evident in our 2016 FAS Women’s Premier League season, which will see 11 teams competing – up from last year’s eight.
“We are very pleased that a well-loved household brand like YEO’S supports women’s football. We hope that this initiative by YEO’S will encourage more corporations to see the potential in women’s football and give their support,” asserted Ms Teo.
In addition to women’s football, YEO’S will also expand its presence in Singapore football to include youth and grassroots football. A new tournament, the H-TWO-O Ultimate Challenge Cup, will be launched during the March and June school holidays to give school football teams – specifically, those that do not qualify for the Nationals from the Zonal competitions – more opportunities to play competitive matches.
“Another key focus for 2016 will be youth football development, where we aim to organise more tournaments so that young players will be able to hone their skills and be given the opportunity to be talent scouted. S.League players and coaches will also heighten their participation in the school outreach programme where young kids will be given the opportunity to learn fundamental football skills, teamwork, fair play, and not forgetting the importance of sports hydration and diet,” said Ms Ngiam.
An existing Memorandum of Understanding between the FAS and ITE will also see the introduction of the H-TWO-O Ultimate Junior Champions League, a competition for primary school students. There will be three categories, namely Under-8, Under-10 and Under-12, to provide age-appropriate opportunities for our young footballers to gain playing experience.
“We are delighted to renew our partnership with the S.League because it resonates with our values of bringing people together. We believe that with the FAS and S.League’s new initiatives, 2016 will be a very exciting season,” concluded Ms Ngiam.
