- August, 30 2010 -
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- Digicel Kick Start Clinics footballers mark the end of their week of training at Sunderland AFC with visit from Mayor of Sunderland
Sunday, August 29th 2010 – Sunderland, England: Following the last day of training on Friday for the Digicel Kick Start Clinics footballers at Sunderland AFC’s Academy of Light, Sunderland AFC Chairman, Niall Quinn, and Sunderland AFC Marketing and Commercial Director, Lesley Callaghan, spoke exclusively to www.digicelfootball.com about the importance of initiatives such as the Digicel Kick Start Clinics and Sunderland AFC’s Academy of Light for aspiring young footballers, and the symbiotic relationship between the two programmes.
The Sunderland AFC Chairman, and Irish and Arsenal football legend, Niall Quinn, said the Academy not only offers training in football, but also a life experience for the boys. “The ethos of our Academy is not just about producing better footballers; it’s about producing better people. Our young footballers work hard at their education as well as their football training and we offer a huge amount of support in this area. I’d like to think the boys that have been with us for the week will take away a sense of professionalism and work ethic and hopefully they will have a better understanding of the hard work and long-term commitment that it takes to be the very best.
“Looking forward, for the boys to be able to play in Europe they will have to continue to work hard and improve in their respective countries. Because of the restrictions in place in terms of work permits, they will firstly need to play at a national level for their country, before furthering their careers in Europe.
“Having said that, being here is a wonderful opportunity for the boys. I went from my home in Ireland to Arsenal when I was 17 years old and it was a fantastic opportunity for me. Being around players who are at the top of their game can only benefit these young footballers and it’s something that very few people get to do.
“Investment in youth football is absolutely paramount to our football club. Producing home-grown players is a priority for us and by investing in top facilities and coaching staff; we are giving ourselves the best opportunity to produce top footballers."
Sunderland AFC Marketing and Commercial Director, Lesley Callaghan, considers the relationship between the Digicel Kick Start Clinics and Sunderland a fantastic opportunity for aspiring young footballers in the Caribbean and Central America. “By being a part of the Digicel Kick Start Clinics, the Sunderland name becomes better known across parts of the world which wouldn’t ordinarily be accessible to us. Combining our standing as a Premier League football club with the brand awareness that Digicel has across the Caribbean and Central America, provides a great platform for both organisations to work together for a common goal.
“Also, as a football club, social responsibility is very important to us. Domestically, we are actively involved in our local community through a range of football and education schemes across the city and the wider region. To be able to use our experience to the benefit of the world-wide community through the Digicel Kick Start Clinics is fantastic.”
To mark the end of their time in Sunderland, the Digicel Kicks Start Clinics footballers met the Mayor of Sunderland, Thomas Martin. Mayor Martin congratulated the boys on their achievements and wished them the very best of luck in their future football careers.
Matthew Woo Ling from Trinidad & Tobago; Vidal Gonzalez and Fernando Meneses from Panama; Jose Villavicencio, Bryan Landaverde and Alvaro Lizama from El Salvador; and Julio Oliva and German Mejia from Honduras were the eight most talented footballers selected by John Barnes from the Digicel Kick Start Clinics.
The Digicel Kick Start Clinics are supported by Jack Warner, Vice President of FIFA and President of both CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union.
The Clinics – which kicked off on July 20th in Trinidad & Tobago, before moving on to Panama, El Salvador and Honduras – saw 150 talented young footballers receive expert coaching in the beautiful game.
Digicel has been involved in a wide range of football initiatives designed to support the development of football in the Caribbean and Central America over the last six years. Digicel, which has operations in 32 countries worldwide, sponsors 17 Football Federations and Leagues, as well as the Digicel Caribbean Cup and the Copa de Naciones Digicel in Central America.
For more information, visit www.digicelfootball.com
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ABOUT DIGICEL GROUP
After nine years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has 10.8 million customers across its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for competitive rates, unbeatable coverage, superior customer care, a wide variety of products and services and state-of-the-art handsets. By offering innovative wireless services and community support, Digicel has become a leading brand in the 32 markets it operates in, placing these regions at the cutting-edge of wireless communications.
Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its Caribbean, Central American and Pacific markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.
Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Championships and the Copa de Naciones Digicel, which are the Caribbean and Central American qualifiers to the CONCACAF Gold Cup. And in the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams including the Digicel Fiji 7s, Digicel Tonga Ikale Tahi 7s and 15s and the Digicel Vanuatu 7s and 15s. Digicel also sponsors the Vanuatu Cricket team.
In 2004, Digicel developed an American Idol-type talent show in the Caribbean – Digicel Rising Stars – to support aspiring young music artists. The annual talent show has spanned the Eastern Caribbean, Jamaica, Haiti and Trinidad & Tobago, ranking as one of the top-rated shows in each market.
Visit www.digicelgroup.com for more information on Digicel.
