Highlights:
- 1360 boys and girls across Karachi
- 74 teams
- 210 matches over three months
Karachi, 11 September 2024: Standard Chartered announced the launch of its “Standard Chartered Karachi United Youth League” as part of its community service mandate to promote sports amongst children. This is the seventh time in a row that the Bank is sponsoring the league.
The objective of the “Standard Chartered Karachi United Youth League” is to provide a platform for Youth football teams from across the underserved areas of Karachi to come together, break barriers and inculcate the spirit and culture of sport and competition.
In the last six years, the Standard Chartered KU Youth League has had over 6500 beneficiaries including boys and girls.
This year’s competition will see a total of 1300 boys and girls from across Karachi participate in matches. In order to increase the standard of the league, official referees and match commissioners have been appointed for every match.
A total of 210 matches will be played in six different locations including Khyber Muslim Ground Baldia Town, Old Golimar Football Ground, Jam Eleven Ground Malir, Karachi United, Clifton and Kakari Ground Lyari? which promises to attract football fans from all over Karachi.
Rehan Sheikh, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Pakistan said, “The Bank has had a long association with football, and we are proud to be leading such a transformational initiative with Karachi United in Pakistan. Each year the league brings together children from across different communities and backgrounds onto a level playing field through friendly competition. Beyond the fact that this improves the skills and game of the children, football has proven to stimulate positive mental health and cognitive development. We have also seen it contributing considerably to the promotion of tolerance, respect, perseverance, resilience and equity of the youth engaged.
We are delighted to share that together with our partners, over the seven years period, the SC KU league experience has positively impacted over 6,000 children with not just football but also coaching in life skills, team work and other areas of life in general. We will continue to support such initiatives in future to promote equality and inclusion.”
Imran Ali, CEO, of Karachi United said: “The SC KU Youth League has established itself as a cornerstone of youth football and competitive play within Karachi’s football communities. This league stands out as the most anticipated event on the annual sports calendar, reflecting the organization, professionalism, and quality that Standard Chartered has enabled us to provide to the thousands of children involved. Our growth is indicative of the league’s popularity and demand. This year, we have expanded to more venues for matches, further showcasing enhanced tolerance, inter-community unity, and collaboration.
In addition to the outstanding quality of football, a key benefit of this league is the confidence it fosters in young individuals. Participation in a local team and involvement in competitive games, which emphasize respect, teamwork, and discipline, has enabled them to discover new skills and passions. Through our collaboration with SC’s Future Maker program, we have identified league participants who have advanced to roles as educators, coaches, law enforcement officials, and entrepreneurs.
This progress would not have been achievable without the steadfast support and dedication of Standard Chartered. Given our accomplishments, we look forward to further developing this partnership.”
