KARACHI: Standard Chartered upskilled community coaches from Karachi United Football Club (KUFC) to build future footballers of Pakistan. This programme was led by two Liverpool FC academy coaches for 12 KUFC coaches who work across underserved communities and are an integral part of the Bank’s annual football community league.
Steven Gillespie and Paul O Brien, coaches who work with the Liverpool FC Academy, conducted the programme in Dubai. This first of its kind football programme by Standard Chartered aims to train coaches from diverse backgrounds and underserved communities. These coaches will further train other coaches of the Club and will also use techniques and skills gained as they train the children who play at Karachi United’s community centres. These children in turn participate in the annual SC KU Youth Football League. Standard Chartered sees this as a long-term investment in terms of providing the children the skillset to eventually showcase their talent.
Standard Chartered Pakistan has been sponsoring the Karachi United Football League for the past three years. The objective of the “Standard Chartered-Karachi United Youth Football League” is to provide a platform for Youth football teams from Karachi to come together, break barriers across genders and ability and inculcate the spirit of competition. It’s a platform for talent to be groomed at the grassroot level. A total of more than 1,000 children have so far participated in this League in 2019.
Commenting on this, Mr. Farhan Ahmed, Head of External Communications and Public Affairs, Standard Chartered Pakistan said, “I am very excited about this pilot that the Bank has organised in partnership with the Liverpool Football Club. We are looking forward to seeing how the Karachi United FC coaches will spread this skillset and enable children from underserved communities to harness their skills as good sportspersons. This is integral in helping improve the SC-KU league in Pakistan which we have been running for three years now. We hope that the skills imparted will continue to create opportunities, build healthy competition and inculcate respect in the local community, whilst breaking barriers across class, genders and abilities, through sport. We hope that through football we can bring a positive social benefit that is a unifying force across our communities in Karachi.”
Commenting on the programme Dan White, Vice President, LFC International Academy, said: “The Train the Trainers programme is a fantastic opportunity for us to have a positive impact on young footballers around the world. This project will provide many opportunities for coaches to improve a wide range of skills, as we introduce them to the same philosophies and techniques delivered at our very own Academy in Liverpool. “We’re looking forward to seeing the project grow and go from strength-to-strength as a broad range of coaches from diverse backgrounds get the chance to develop their own abilities in a professional and unique environment.” PR
