As he neared the end of his playing career, Frenchman Phillipe Bru looked back and decided he wanted to use the power of soccer to help people in Hong Kong. But he was frustrated with his local league’s reluctance to give back to the community. The league, in which he had played for 11 years, had done too little to help charities, especially those concerned with underprivileged children, he says. He decided, “It’s my turn now to give back whatever I’ve learned, to give back to these kids.” So, he kicked the ball into his own goal, so to speak.

“Football is something I breathe every day,” says the 42-year-old wine merchant and, in the past five months, he’s taken in extra-large lungfulls. He’s been networking, seeking sponsors, and building a new amateur league with a charity focus from scratch – with considerable success.

The Diadora Soccer League will kick off next month as a social amateur competition, with all disciplinary fines issued to players who receive red or yellow cards to be donated to charities such as the Society for Community Organisation, Unicef, orphanages and refugee organisations. An indoor five-a-side competition will also start next month with the same charitable intentions. Diadora will supply full uniforms and equipment for the two competitions which will launch Bru’s other brainchild, the Asian Amateur Football Confederation, linking amateur football leagues from across Asia.

The confederation’s website, www.aafc.hk, will act as a central portal for the leagues – in an unofficial capacity – hosting news, information, photos and videos of the latest action. Starting from next year, eight top teams will be selected from across the region to compete in a Champion’s Cup tournament, which, says Bru, will be broadcast by “a very well-known sports network”. Money generated from the tournament will also go to charity.

But Bru and fellow organiser and soccer nut Jeff Rotmeyer, a Canadian, aren’t content with just that. They’re also establishing a free soccer academy for 180 kids between the ages of six and 15 who can’t afford to pay the fees for coaching in the sport. The kids will be provided with boots, uniforms and balls for the 12-week academy and receive professional coaching from Rotmeyer. As well as learning new football skills, the kids will meet some new friends and build self-esteem, says Rotmeyer, an primary school English teacher. “We
want to go to these kids and show we actually care.”

The venture, due to get under way at the end of October, has just had its first major boost – funding from the South China Morning Post and RTHK’s Operation Santa Claus campaign. The academy will look after the kids on and off the pitch, Bru says, by organising parties for holidays and birthdays, and taking them to big soccer matches, amusement parks and movies. Bru has a vision that one day he will provide full facilities for the kids, including a pitch, changing rooms and equipment. “Hopefully we can help these underprivileged kids to have a better life.”