Standard Chartered hosts coaching clinics for children with Liverpool FC Foundation in Qatar

Four hundred individuals benefit from First of its kind in the Kingdom football coaching sessions with LFC Foundation

Monday, 25 March 2013, Manama, Bahrain - Standard Chartered recently hosted two Liverpool FC Foundation coaches who conducted football coaching clinics for children from various schools and institutions in Bahrain.

Forbes Duff and Karl Carney, coaches who work with the Liverpool FC Foundation, flew down to Bahrain, as part of a regional Standard Chartered Bank tour including Qatar and Oman, to conduct football clinics organised by the Bank, across the Bahraini community, free of charge. This first-of-its kind football programme is aimed at people of diverse backgrounds, irrespective of age, gender, physical and mental ability. Coaching clinics were conducted for 400 individuals including children from the Saudi Bahraini Institute (as part of the Bank's Seeing is Believing initiative that aims to help tackle avoidable blindness), members of the Bahraini Olympics Committee for the Special Needs as well as three national schools: St. Christophers' School, Bahrain Bayan School and Ibn Khuldoon National School (IKNS). The coaches also conducted a session with Bahrain's National Football Team for Women, as well as, coaching sessions for staff members, their children as well as volunteers and the Bank's own football team.

Hassan A. Jarrar, Chief Executive Officer at Standard Chartered Bahrain said,
"It's been a pleasure to host the LFC Foundation coaches and I have been impressed with the skills and technique taught to the children. Each session has been tailor-made to suit the age and capability of the child, therefore everyone had a chance to learn and play the game regardless of their skill levels."

"Bahrain has been amazing. We have never experienced as warm a reception as we have here as well as the level of engagement from all individuals we trained", said Forbes Duff.

"The response to the coaching session has been great. There is tremendous potential here and we are impressed to see the enthusiasm in children and adults alike for football in Bahrain" commented Karl Carney.

Mr. A.Wahid Mohammed Al Kayyat, Head of the Saudi Bahraini Institute for the Blind said, 'we were delighted to be part of the coaching clinics. The students learned new skills and were entertained at the same time. We thank the Bank for this initiative, the coaches for visiting us and offering the training session to our students as well as all those who helped make this activity as success.'

Dr Peter Nanas, Director General said, "thanks to the gracious organisation of Standard Chartered Bank, eighty students from grades 3- 5 participated in two one-hour Liverpool FC Football Clinics conducted by coaches Forbes Duff and Carl Carney on the Bahrain Bayan School campus last Saturday morning, March 22. It was a most memorable experience for our young Bayan School footballers, one they will long remember!"

Ms Maisae Affour, KG and Elementary Principle at IKNS, "The Liverpool Clinic provided IKNS students with a great opportunity to be exposed to world class coaching and enthuse them about team work and football skills. We hope that Standard Chartered Bank would help introduce our students to future events like that in Bahrain."

Mark Holness, Head of PE at St. Christophers' School also said, 'During an action packed morning, the coaches from Liverpool FC worked with over 100 primary aged children from St Christopher's football development squads and our girls football team. The coaches had a great rapport with the children, ensuring all went away from the sessions motivated, enthused and with improved skills. Many thanks to Standard Chartered Bank for bringing the coaches to Bahrain and giving St Christopher's children the opportunity to benefit from top quality football coaching.

At the Foundation, both Forbes and Karl work on a daily basis with the Football Development Programme, where they coach in local primary schools.

As part of the Football Development programme they also help with the SEN coaching with the Special Needs Groups which include both children and adults. Both Forbes and Karl have been on a number of Soccer Clinics abroad which include the Goals Project in Mumbai with Standard Chartered Bank and recently the LFC Pre-Season Tour in the US.

For further information, please contact:

Noora Al Nusuf
Head of Corporate Affairs
Standard Chartered Bahrain
Tel: 00973 17150760
Mobile: 0097317150760
E-mail: noora.alnusuf@sc.com

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