With images flooding in on television and the internet, it is hard not to be moved by the scenes of the carnage and devastation brought about to Japan after the massive earthquake and Tusnami of March 11 and so once again, over these couple of weekends, the S.League community has come together to show support and aid for Japan.
Firstly, Saturday March 26 will see an S.League football double bill at the Jalan Besar Stadium, featuring the Courts Young Lions playing the S.League’s Japanese side Albirex Niigata at 5pm followed by a match between defending S.League Champions, French side Etoile FC taking on the defending Suzuki Cup Champions Malaysia at 8 pm, with the aim of raising funds for relief efforts for Japan.
Young Lions’ sponsors Courts have came up with an absolutely easy way for fans to donate just by showing up. The electronics megastore has pledged S$5 for every person attending this match to add to the ticket revenues for the game which will be donated by the Football Association of Singapore.
“Fans coming along to the game will be able to enjoy a game of entertaining football and at the same time contribute to a good cause,” said Ian Mullane, Chief Executive Officer of Young Lion’s marketing partners Vanda Sports Group (VSG). “We are grateful for the strong and generous support from Courts and their partners for helping us make it so easy for anyone who wants to do their part for the victims of the disaster.”
Courts has also galvanised support from their retail partners which include Acer, Blackberry, Brother, Demand Print, Samsung and Toshiba who are pitching in with the relief efforts by contributing either cash and/or products, which will go on a silent auction on match day.
“Many of our Japanese suppliers have already made direct contributions to aid the people in Japan since news of the quake broke. We are very heartened to receive additional support from these suppliers as well as the outpouring of support from our Taiwanese, Korean, Canadian and Singaporean suppliers,” stated Courts’ Chief Executive, Terry O’Connor. “Every bit counts and we hope the fans will come together on Saturday and show their support for the Courts Young Lions and in turn help the children in Japan.”
Courts and VSG are projecting a total donation value of S$40,000 based on an estimated crowd attendance of 2,000 fans which also means each fan will be helping to contribute a minimum of S$20 to the cause just by attending the game. All proceeds will go to the Save the Children Fund (Japan Earthquake Tsunami Children in Emergency) where an estimated 100,000 children in Japan have been displaced as a result of the disaster.
Shortly following that match at 8pm, will be another fund-raiser for Japan organised by S.League’s French side Etoile FC, who invited the Malaysia National Team, current defenders of the Suzuki Cup, to play in a match where all profits will go to the International Red Cross via Albirex Niigata to aid victims of the disaster in Japan.
"The news on Japan is everywhere, in every newspaper. You cannot be untouched by what is happening there," Etoile FC chairman Johan Gouttefangeas was reported by eurosport.com to have told Reuters on Friday. "We are in a position to use football to do something good, and I feel this is what we could do and what we should do."
The S.League has been active in rallying support for the Japanese cause also because of its association with Albirex Niigata, who has been part of the league since 2004. The Japanese club together with the Great Eastern-YEO's S.League have teamed up for a series of fund-raising events for the Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief efforts during the first weekend of April.
Under the banner of S.League Cares, Take Action! With Albirex Niigata Singapore, the events will helmed by former Japanese football poster boy, Hidetoshi Nakata, who will be at the official media conference on Sunday, March 27 together with the Albirex Niigata Singapore chairman Daisuke Korenaga to announce the exciting events lined up for the week after, all in the name coming together through football to help a nation and her people through a natural disaster.