AP Honda’s project bearing fruits

Initiated as part of the sponsorship deals AP Honda have with two English Premier League giants Liverpool and Manchester United, “AP Honda-OBEC (Office of The Basic Education Commission) Red Champions” has become a vital cog in the wheel of upgrading the domestic game at the basic level.  

Buying into the idea that fundamental skills are the platform to become a professional football player, AP Honda has been providing local schoolboys a once-in-alifetime experience of short training course at the two EPL famous clubs.

The company hoped such unique opportunity, albeit for a brief period, would have an inspirational effect on the youngsters in their pursuit of becoming professional players. Their contribution to help uplift domestic game at grassroots level did start to yield dividends, with some of the Red Champions winners already plying their trade at the clubs in the country’s top three divisions.

“Seven players from our team that took part in the previous season of the Red Champions project have already signed for the clubs ranging from [top-flight] Thai League to [third-tier] Division Two,” said Wasan Wanvijit, the coach of Vachiralai School team from Chiang Mai province.

The trainer described the short training stint his boys had in England as a “life-changing” experience.

“When everyone got back from England, the experience in terms of playing football there was like an eye-opener. There was a change in the way they played. Above all, it’s the concentration they showed on the pitch.

“While one found a club, the others tried hard to get contracts as well. They were willing to undergo trials wherever the places were. We fielded the team in the competition hosted by the Department of Physical Education for two-three years as well as minor tournaments, which helped raise the team’s profile.

“We got invited by “big” clubs for trials. Coming through the Red Champions project sometimes became a licence for us to earn exemption from taking part in the preliminary round [of the selection],” said Wasan.              

Vachiralai School were the Northern winners of the Red Champions’ team event for successive years and they were among the 45-member travelling party that preferred to undergo a training course conducted by Manchester United coaches a fortnight ago.  

The Thai delegation yet again received a red-carpet treatment during their week-long stay in Manchester. Such was the privilege the Thai delegation got from the Red Devils that they had the chance to train at the club’s famed training ground, “The Cliff”.

“To get 25 very talented young playฌers, who took part in our soccer school in the past week, we hope you would be inspired. The training ground where you had the soccer school is the same training ground the “Busby Babes” used in 1950s,” Phil Townsend, Manchester United’s director of communication, said in his speech at the certification presentation ceremony held at the Old Trafford stadium.

“It’s the same training ground that Sir Alex [Ferguson] prepared his team to win the treble in 1999. It’s the feat no other English clubs have ever managed to match,” 

Townsend further said the Manchester club, arguably the world’s most supported team, were keen to continue its cooperation with AP Honda to hold such a good community project as the Red Champions.      

“We have a large family in Thailand. We’ve something like 19.5 million followers in the country. We started Line account [smartphone messaging app] last year and we already have two million followers on that as well.

“That’s further example of the way we’re trying to engage with our fans through our good friends and partners like AP Honda. We hope there’ll be many more Red Champions events because it’s powerful commitment to the partnership we pride ourselves on to bring real benefit to community in Thailand.”  

Former Thailand’s national team coach and United captain Bryan Robson, who was also present at the ceremony, offered wise words on how to become a better player and suggested fundamental skills were paramount to ensure good career in football.

“The way you have to do is to enjoy your football. If you enjoy, you’ll pracฌtice more and you’ll get better. The main thing is to enjoy the sport.

“Skill [is important], we go through several skills, which you can practice on everything. So, your fitness is important so you train hard.

“But, then skill and practice passing the ball, heading the ball, tackling, dribฌbling, these all different skills if you really football, you need to practice all of them if you want to get better.”