08 Oct Zurich Malaysia’s nutritional education through football initiative gets a nod of approval from parents

Malacca, 8 October 2018 – Scores of talented youngsters showed up at Padang 10, Hang Jebat Sports Complex in Malacca for the second installment of Zurich Malaysia’s ‘Eat Right to Play Right’ (ERTPR) Youth Cup 2018 over the weekend of 29 and 30 September to showcase their footballing skills and passion for the sport.

A young girl participating in one of the nutritional side games organised during the ‘Eat Right to Play Right’ Youth Cup 2018 at Malacca recently

As is synonymous with most sporting events, the young players’ parents and family members turned up to show their support and cheer for their respective teams. But at the ERTPR tournament, they also had the opportunity to learn about proper nutritional practices through a variety of interactive educational games and activities.

Che Ahmawati Ahmad, whose son participated in the U12 category was very pleased and satisfied that she had the opportunity to experience such an event which not only provided a platform for children to showcase their talents but also taught them the ways to healthy lifestyle habits.

She said, “As a mother, it is only natural that I prioritise and focus on my children’s physical and mental well-being. The ERTPR tournament has been a real eye-opener as it allows participants to learn how to eat right while having fun at the same time.”

“Proper nutritional habits are essential for every athlete no matter the age and the best way to educate them is by starting them young. I hope this community effort by Zurich and everybody involved will continue to grow and flourish for many years to come,” added Che.

The tournament saw 16 teams competing in four (4) age categories which are U8, U10, U12 and U14. In the U14 category, SMK Seri Pengkalan beat HMFC Johor 1-0 in the final whereas Inspire One Goal claimed first place in the U12 and U10 by overcoming Sinar FC 3-0 and RJ FC 4-0 respectively whilst Kiddo Kickers A finished as champions of the U8 category with a 3-1 win over Sinar FC.

Charlie Chai, Head of Brand Marketing of Zurich Malaysia, was present to rally the skillful players throughout the tournament and also present the prizes for all categories.

The ERTPR Youth Cup 2018 will next move to Pahang before heading to Sarawak and Klang Valley as it aims to continue spreading nutritional knowledge through football to as many youths as possible. Winners of each category from the state preliminaries will go toe-to-toe at the Grand Finals to win the inaugural ERTPR Youth Cup 2018 championship in December.

ERTPR is Zurich Malaysia’s integrated community programme that was established in 2016 in partnership with local non-governmental organisation, One Goal Malaysia (OGM) to tackle child malnutrition issues by educating children on the importance of nutrition and healthy eating, as well as to encourage physical activity and good sportsmanship, by using grassroots football as a platform. It is funded by a local grant from Z Zurich Foundation.