Special day for young people from China

Two young people from rural China were given an unforgettable experience at Hotspur Way today (Friday, March 20) as part of our support of the AIA China Youth Football Development programme.

Mo Wenmin, 14, and Yang Huiyan, 11, have left their village in Guangdong province for the first time on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to London where they will be mascots for tomorrow’s match against Leicester City.

The team will wear special edition shirts featuring the charity logo, which will be auctioned off to raise money to create further sporting opportunities for disadvantaged youth across China through the initiative.

Today, the pair were given the opportunity to take part in a football session alongside girls their age from Nightingale Academy in Enfield.

The session was led by coaches from Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and Spurs Ladies, and joined by special guests Ledley King, Christian Eriksen and Nacer Chadli.

Below: Mo and Yang with Christian and Nacer

Ledley had previously worked with Mo and Yang in Guangzhou last summer through a coaching clinic as part of the Club’s continued commitment to support its principal partner, AIA, in aiming to increase sports participation and promote health and wellbeing across the Asia-Pacific region.

The Club Ambassador said: “It is great to provide this opportunity for two young people to experience a completely different way of living and get a taste of life outside of their country for the first time.

“Football has an incredible power to bring people from around the world together in a unique way, and that is what we have seen today with Mo and Yang interacting with the girls from Nightingale Academy.

“Now they will get the chance to experience a match at White Hart Lane and lead the teams out, which is something they will never forget."

Christian added: “Football is a global game and it is incredible that a Club like ours can have a positive impact on the lives of those less fortunate, not only within North London but also on the other side of the world.

“It was great to meet the two young girls from China - they taught Nacer and I a little of their language and even invited us to their village, which was nice of them!”

Nacer said: “It is important that the Club supports an initiative like this and great that we have been able to bring two young people from China to experience something unforgettable.

“We hope that they enjoy their time in London and they clearly got a lot out of working with our coaches today and playing alongside girls their own age from England.”