Standard Chartered Trophy - Road to Anfield 2014 kicks start in Vietnam

The five-a-side competition will see 17 amateur Vietnamese teams compete for a place in a global futsal tournament being organised by Standard Chartered Bank at Anfield, home of English Premier League side Liverpool Football Club.

The tournament comprises two phases – the local qualifying tournament to be held in each participating market and the Standard Chartered Trophy Finals, which will be staged at Anfield on May 13, 2014.

The winning Vietnamese team will play against futsal champions from 14 other countries.

Vietnam’s representatives at the Standard Chartered Trophy will also receive a professional training session from Liverpool legends and coaches prior to playing in the finals.

Nirukt Sapru, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos said: “Vietnam is passionate about football and the English Premier League in particular. As a bank that is deeply committed to Vietnam we are proud to be able to leverage our relationship with Liverpool as their official sponsor to give Vietnamese footballers this once in a lifetime opportunity to play on the hallowed turf of Anfied.”

The Vietnam qualifying legs will be held in Ho Chi Minh City from March 1-2 at Rach Mieu Gymnasium, Phu Nhuan district and in Hanoi from March 8-9 at Bach Khoa Gymnasium, Hai Ba Trung district.

The winning Ho Chi Minh team will then fly to Hanoi to play in the country’s grand final on March 9.

Standard Chartered is a leading international banking group.

It had opened the first branch office in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City in 1904.

Today, Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam, with three branches employing nearly 700 staff, provides a full suite of wholesale banking products and services to corporate clients and financial institutions in parallel to consumer banking to serve individuals and small and medium enterprises.

The bank also plays an active role in the Vietnamese community through a wide range of social and charitable activities.