A new Siem Reap Youth League initially featuring 6 clubs is to be launched later this month according to a press release and promo video released by Siem Reap United.
The league which is being championed by Alex Kutt of Siem Reap United is due to start at the end of April and is to be titled the Youth League Pro 11 – U15. It will initially be open to players under the age of 15, but with plans in place to drastically expand the competition.
To read our interview with Alex Kutt of Siem Reap United click here
What will the format of the league be?
According to Alex the six clubs, which consist of Siem Reap United, Next Step FC, Plov Jivit, Future Bright International School (FBIS), ICF Cambodia and SRBC will each play home and away, with four different venues being used for “home matches”. The team that finishes top will thus win the inaugural Youth League Champions Trophy.
Notable by their absence are both Angkor Tiger and Soltilo, the so called “big teams” of Siem Reap.
Why has the league been formed?
In the words of Alex to “give teams a chance to play against strong opponents in a league system”.
It has though also been formed due to a lack of youth competition arranged by the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC) and the Cambodian Premier League (CPL).
As things currently stand in Siem Reap the only truly organized youth football comes through the well run Church Leagues. These leagues are not only not controlled or affiliated to FFC, but also raise moral questions in a county that is predominantly Buddhist.
This absence also led to the formation of the Smart Youth League in Phnom Penh, championed by PP Crown. This has so far proved extremely successful, and is currently the premier grassroots competition within the capital.
You can read about the Smart League here.
And as for the future? According to Alex once the league is complete they will move onto a 5 a side league, which already has 100 teams registered, will go up to Under 19 level, as well as feature a women’s section.
Desportol show their support for grassroots football
Sports fashion and apparel brand Desportol have also showed their support for the competition by providing their first kits to Next Step FC as part of their shirt sponsorship deal with the club.
To read about the deal between Desportol and Next Step FC click here.
Their shirts and indeed those of the other clubs can be seen in the promotional video below.
This article is adapted from BPVE, (https://bpve.com/) reported and edited from the great team – Cambodia Sports Review. (https://www.cambodiasportsreview.com/)
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