RHB Bank extends sponsorship of Singapore Cup for another three years
RHB Bank Singapore yesterday announced a three-year renewal of its title sponsorship of the Singapore Cup.
The $1.5 million deal from 2017 to 2019 will see RHB Singapore's sponsorship stretch to 15 years, making it the longest-running title sponsor of the cup tournament.
"Our aim is to bring up the interest of football in the country, and to build the younger generation in Singapore by getting them interested in football and leading a healthy lifestyle," said Mike Chan, CEO and Country Head of RHB Singapore, after the press conference for the RHB Singapore Cup 2017 preliminary round draw at Ocean Financial Centre yesterday.
"Football is a very important sport in this country so we think it is a space we can associate our brand with."
This year's competition features 12 teams - eight S.League teams and four foreign teams from the Philippines and Cambodia.
The four foreign teams are Ceres Negros FC and Global Cebu FC from the Philippines and Nagaworld FC and Boeungket Angkor FC from Cambodia.
The invited foreign clubs will be drawn in the preliminary round against non-seeded S.League teams - Warriors FC, Hougang United, Balestier Khalsa and Geylang International. The preliminary round matches will take place between May 29 and June 4.
Winning teams in the preliminary round will then progress to the quarter-finals where they'll meet the seeded teams in the S.League which include two-time defending champions Albirex Niigata, Tampines Rovers, Home United and Brunei DPMM FC.
Rikram Jit Singh, the Football Association of Singapore's assistant director of commercial and business development, said: "We are immensely grateful to RHB for their continued support for the past 12 years. We are heartened that RHB has committed their support for another three years. Mike Chan and Luke Diep have both been unwavering in their support and trust in local football. They were unhesitant when we approached them earlier this year to continue their support.
"We hope to repay RHB's trust in us by ensuring that the RHB Singapore Cup continues to be an exciting and thrilling competition as we find new ways to keep raising the level of competition."
Draw for preliminary round (May 29 to June 4)
Match 1 - Hougang United FC vs Ceres Negros FC
Match 2 - Balestier Khalsa FC vs Nagaworld FC
Match 3 - Geylang International FC vs Global Cebu FC
Match 4 - Warriors FC vs Boeungket Angkor FC
Seeded teams that will play the winners of the preliminary round in the quarter-finals
Albirex Niigata
Tampines Rovers
Brunei DPMM
Home United
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