PREMIER League side Tottenham Hotspur became the latest club to join the soccer drive in China as the club will take part in a year-long initiative to develop the game at grassroots level in the country.

    The London club’s global coaching team will follow methods used at their academy to provide 42 physical education teachers, who will help train 8,000 primary and middle school students in Guangzhou.

    “We understand the importance of football development in China and, given our track record, we are perfectly placed to harness the talent and passion for the game in China to help develop young players who could become future stars of the game,” Grant Cornwell, head of global coaching, told the club’s website (www.tottenhamhotspur.com).

    In addition, 40 children — both from Guangzhou and underprivileged areas of China — will visit the United Kingdom for the Jaguar China-U.K. Football and Cultural Exchange in November, and will undergo a week of intensive training at Tottenham’s training center.

    The Jaguar Football Campus Guangzhou, delivered by Tottenham Hotspur, is part of the Jaguar Land Rover China Children & Youth Dream Fund, jointly initiated by Jaguar Land Rover China and the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation. The Dream Fund is investing 50 million yuan (US$7.52 million) over three years from 2014-2017 to support the growth and development of the next generation via four pillars: Sports for All, Road Safety, Talent Development and Social Care.

    (SD-Agencies)