Liverpool FC legends host Jakarta soccer clinic
Ahead of unveiling the Reds’ 2014/15 training kit, sponsored by Garuda Indonesia, Liverpool FC legends Didi Hamann, Luis Garcia and Phil Thompson took some time out to help run a soccer school for 60 kids in central Jakarta.
The kids, all aged between 12-14 years, got the chance to pick up some tips and skills from the European Cup winners as they led a coaching session with the young participants at the Hanggar Futsal stadium.
Out of the 60 kids involved, 40 of them came from a local orphanage, with the rest coming from the British Council and Premier League's Premier Skills' Gocekz Project in Indonesia. This is a social inclusion project that uses the power of football to reach children in some of the most challenging and disadvantaged communities in Jakarta.
The Gocekz Project was the Reds' official charity partner during the Club's 2013 preseason tour visit to Indonesia. This is now the Club's second visit to the programme since July 2013.
Commenting on his involvement in the soccer clinic, Luis Garcia said, "Coming out to see all of the kids today at the soccer clinic has been a fantastic experience. Liverpool FC has such a huge following in Indonesia, so it's great to get out into the community and bring an experience of Anfield to the young fans."
The national airline of Indonesia became the Club's Official Airline Partner in 2012. Following the success of Liverpool FC's 2013 preseason tour to Asia and Australia, Garuda Indonesia decided to take their partnership with the Club to the next level by becoming their training kit partner.
Fans can get a chance to see the new LFC training kit sponsored by Garuda Indonesia at the live reveal event at Central Park Mall on Thursday 29 May at 6pm. To mark the launch of Liverpool's return to Champions League as well as the launch of Garuda Indonesia's very-first direct flight into Europe, Hamann, Garcia and Thompson will be in attendance at the kit reveal alongside the Club's UEFA Champions League trophy.
The Reds enjoy a massive fan base in Asia and especially in Indonesia where the Club has the biggest following of any local-language LFC Twitter account with over 100,000 followers along with the second biggest following on the Club's Facebook page (2 million). The official Indonesian local-language website also helps to bring the Club closer to fans no matter how far away from Anfield they live.
[SLIDESHOW]