ISF Cambodia and AIA Cambodia reschedule Youth League Opening to February 2022.

AIA – ISF Youth League is Cambodia’s largest grassroots football league – offering youth from underprivileged backgrounds the opportunity to play football in a safe environment. Dedicated to alleviating poverty through equitable access to education, healthcare, and sport, the Cambodian-based NGO ISF has partnered with the insurance giant AIA since 2017, working side-by-side to support longer, healthier, and better lives for Cambodians.

Last year in 2021, ISF and AIA agreed to organise two leagues – one in Phnom Penh and one in Battambang. On Sunday, 6 February, the organisations kicked off their first Battambang league with 40 teams from around the provinces. However, due to COVID restrictions throughout the city, the organisations had to postpone their Phnom Penh league until 2022.  

Mr. Samedy Yin, ISF Football Programme Manager, explains, “Although the youth league in Phnom Penh 2021 was postponed, we needed to reschedule it for the new year. Children in Cambodia don’t have many opportunities to play in Leagues, and these leagues create an incredible community and a great sense of happiness. Especially given the challenges of the past few years, it was important for us to host these leagues in Phnom Penh and bring youth from around the city together.”

This year, AIA and ISF will welcome nearly 2,000 athletes across Cambodia to 2022’s Youth Leagues. Sunday’s opening event at ISF Sports Ground will see over 450 league participants from Phnom Penh.

To increase accessibility for the provinces, the league will be divided into two fixtures. Phnom Penh will host 30 teams, and Kampot will host 15 teams across four divisions: U14 Boys, U14 Girls, U10 Boys, and U18 Girls. The league held in Phnom Penh will run for six consecutive weeks while the league in Kampot will run for five. Matches will run every Sunday, and the finals will be held on Sunday, 27 March 2022. 

2022 marks the fifth consecutive year AIA is sponsoring the league. Since the inception of their partnership, ISF has made strides by expanding to reach more children throughout Cambodia. 

Coupled with their bespoke social-impact curriculum, ISF is providing equitable opportunities, developing life skills, and bringing happiness to disadvantaged youth across the country.