Australian Embassy and Bangkok Glass FC hold football clinic for disadvantaged kids to celebrate the AFC Asian Cup Final
31 January 2015
On 31 January the Australian Embassy in Thailand and Bangkok Glass FC co-hosted a football clinic for Thai children from disadvantaged communities at Leo Stadium, Pathumthani to celebrate the AFC Asian Cup Final. Australia has been hosting this international football tournament throughout January and will participate in the final against South Korea today.
Bangkok Glass coaches and their recent recruit, former Australian national team representative “Socceroo” Matthew Smith, led the clinic for around 20 children from Klong Toei. Representatives of the Australian Embassy football team also participated.
Sister Joan Evans, an Australian who has worked to improve health and education standards for families from Klong Toei for many years, helped arrange the children’s participation.
Beyond helping the children improve their football skills, the clinic aimed to improve the children’s self-esteem and encouraged them to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The children were aged between 7 and 13 years old.
Australia’s Ambassador to Thailand Paul Robilliard said “This clinic is a great example of the friendship between Australia and Thailand. Australians are very excited to host the Asian Cup this year, and I’m delighted that we were able to share that excitement with kids from Klong Toei by running the clinic with Bangkok Glass. I’m also very pleased to continue our support for Sister Evans’ important work helping disadvantaged communities in Thailand”.
This is the first time Australia has hosted the tournament. Australia welcomed the opportunity to celebrate the 2015 AFC Asian Football Cup with our Thai friends. Sports provides us with a common language and surpasses social, cultural and language barriers, helping us to build links with local communities.
The Australian Government provided THB 545,000 in funding (around AUD 20,000) in 2014 to support Sister Evans’ Infant Milk Program, under which baby milk formula has regularly been delivered to hundreds of babies at risk of hunger since 1992. Since 2009, the Australian Government has provided THB 880,000 (around AUD 33,000) under its Direct Aid Program to help fund Sister Evans’ work with the Klong Toei community.