Epson Singapore Cup 2016 concludes with rousing finale

Source: Epson Singapore. Winners of the inaugural Epson Singapore Cup – Team Valentia C.F., celebrating their win with Tan May Lin, GM (Sales, Marketing & Customer Service Division) of Epson Singapore.

Team Valentia C.F is the Under-15 (U-15) champion of the inaugural Epson Singapore Cup 2016 after two Saturdays of tournament matches at SAFRA Tampines. Battling for the ultimate prize of a once-in-a-lifetime training stint experience at the prestigious Valencia C.F Soccer School in Singapore, ten teams under the age of 15 took to the football pitch to compete in the seven-a-side tournament by Epson Singapore and Official Tournament Partner SINAD Sports.

Title Sponsor Epson Singapore is encouraged by the results of the tournament. “As our first Epson Singapore Cup, we are encouraged and impressed by the mettle, skills and sportsmanship the teams have shown on the field. For our young champion, I wish them all the best and may the training stint bring them a step closer towards excellence in football. For the rest of the participants, I believe their dedication will not go unnoticed, and continue to pursue their passion and dreams in football,” said Tan May Lin, Epson Singapore’s General Manager (Sales, Marketing & Customer Service Division).

Preliminary matches among 10 U-15 teams were held on 3 September. The teams received tips from coaches and players, including Assistant Head Coach/ Prime League Coach Mohd Noor Ali, Head Coach of Geylang International FC (GIFC) Hasrin Jailani, and players Shahfiq Ghani and Carlos Delgado. From playing fair and as a team to the importance of warmups, the youths were inspired to do their best. Preliminary matches for 4 September for Under-17 were cancelled due as there were too few qualified entries.

The competition heated up on September 10, as eight teams qualified for the quarter finals. The morning started with a briefing from Head Coach of GIFC Hasrin, who advised them to watch the shape and formation of their teams as they play, balance between playing as a team and showcasing their individual skills, and display good sportsmanship.

GIFC players Isa Halim and Mark Hartmann also spoke to the teams, encouraging them to go the extra mile to push themselves to win, respect the officials and other teams, and enjoy the game. Teams who made it to the quarter finals were subsequently briefed by local football legends Lionel Lewis and S Subramani, to better prepare them for the matches. Team Valentia C.F won against hot favourites Team Alpha after a draw at 0:0, followed by a penalty shootout of 3:2 in favour of Valentia C.F.

“Both teams played very well, though the players in Valentia C.F had more hunger in them. The first penalty kick was saved by the goalkeeper from Valentia C.F, which was the turning point that led them to being champions,” said Leonard Koh, Tournament Director of Epson Singapore Cup 2016.

On the win, player Muhammad Ilyasa Bin Zul Haimi who scored the final penalty goal said, “The tournament is helpful to gain more and different experiences, so that we can learn from them and learn how to face them. We hope to learn more during the Valencia Soccer School training about how to deal with and overcome different situations”.

The winner's training stint is slated for end-2016.

The Epson Singapore Cup is the latest corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative by Epson Singapore and is in line with Epson’s focus on youth development. The company is committed to extending its outreach efforts to local communities where it operates.