Albion players meet youngsters in Tokyo as part of UNICEF partnership

2024-08-06T10:00+01:00

Kaoru Mitoma chats to youngsters after the skills session.

During their pre-season tour in Japan, Albion players Kaoru Mitoma, Joel Veltman, and Tariq Lamptey joined children from the Saginuma Soccer Club and representatives from the Japanese Committee for UNICEF for a football coaching session and an interactive Q&A on UNICEF, child rights and climate change. The collaborative event followed the launch of a three-year partnership between Brighton & Hove Albion FC and UNICEF — the world’s leading child rights organisation — which took place in July.

The trio, accompanied by chief executive and deputy chairman Paul Barber and club ambassador Glenn Murray, took part in a coaching session with the delighted youngsters before Kaoru answered their questions and gave them some tips on improving their skills.

The training session was part of Albion's partnership with UNICEF, the world’s leading child rights organisation

After meeting the children Joel said, “Every child deserves to have a safe environment and to be happy… When we saw how happy the children were just to be playing with a ball it was amazing to see. [The children] certainly enjoyed meeting Kaoru and listening to his answers at the Q&A, it was a fantastic event.”

Through the new partnership, the club will aim to is committed to using the power of football for good to strengthen UNICEF's efforts to build a world where every child is happy, healthy, and safe.

Steven Blackwood, Head of Sport and Gaming at UNICEF UK, said: "On behalf of UNICEF UK, I’d like to extend a huge thanks to our new partner, Brighton & Hove Albion, for inviting UNICEF to join this special event, where we witnessed our partnership come to life.

The youngsters fire questions at Kaoru, Tariq and Joel after the session.

“It was fantastic to see the children from Saginuma Soccer Club so engaged in learning about UNICEF’s work to provide children with the best start in life, as well as Brighton & Hove Albion’s commitment to the cause. We are also incredibly grateful to Kaoru Mitoma, Joel Veltman, and Tariq Lamptey for generously dedicating their time and getting stuck into the football session, making the day truly memorable."

Hiro Nakai, Chief of the Information and Advocacy Division at Japan Committee for UNICEF said: “The Japan Committee for UNICEF thanks Brighton & Hove Albion FC and UNICEF UK for the invitation to this event.

“We were able to get a glimpse of how this partnership and the power of football can empower children - and we look forward to seeing many more results in the future.”