The Hong Kong Jockey Club becomes title sponsor of Sapling Cup

Many outstanding local players seized the opportunity to play in the Sapling Cup football competition as youngsters, gaining valuable experience from the games before progressing to become professional football players.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is therefore delighted to become the Sapling Cup’s title sponsor from the 2022/23 campaign for three consecutive seasons. The sponsorship agreement, announced by the Hong Kong Premier League Committee, includes awards for individual young players to inspire them to excel. Premier League clubs participating in the JC Sapling Cup contest must field a minimum of three U22 (under-22) players for the duration of matches.

The Club’s sponsorship of HK$1.98 million benefits Premier League clubs, players and the community. All participating clubs will be awarded prize money commensurate with their performance, raising the games’ competitiveness and attracting more fans. Cup finalists can each nominate a charitable organisation to receive donations from the Club. Charitable organisation nominated by the Champion team will receive HK$100,000 while the organisation nominated by the Runner-up will receive HK$50,000. To further encourage young players to excel, a cash award will be offered to the best performing U22 player from each club, with a “Star of the Stars” to be chosen from among the best players.

Meanwhile, the Club’s sponsorship also brings football closer to the community. Students and those using the services of NGOs will be invited to enjoy Cup games, while members of the HKJC Junior Sports Reporters programme (JSR) will be involved in making reports and producing live webcasts of three Sapling Cup games.