Former HK star striker conducts clinic

Former Hong Kong football star Leslie George Santos and two other officials from Hong Kong-based Chelsea FC Soccer School are in town to conduct a series of clinics and attend the opening of the Saipan Soccer School.

Santos is the technical director of both the Chelsea FC Soccer School (Hong Kong) and Santos Soccer School and will be on Saipan for five days to join Chelsea FC Soccer School (Hong Kong) head coach Kwok On Tsui and technical director Luam Khen Koo in holding a three-day clinic with CNMI players.

Chelsea FC Soccer School (Hong Kong) is affiliated with the famous English football club in West London and has over 10 AFC (Asian Football Confederation) qualified head and assistant coaches. Santos is one of them, as he and other coaches attended an intensive training and coaching course with Chelsea FC in England for its development program in Hong Kong.

Santos, who was named Footballer of the Year twice (1990 and 1991) in Hong Kong and a member of the Best 11 in Asia, and Tsui started the series of clinics yesterday at the Oleai Sports Complex Field.

The clinic drew about 30 U15 players from Tan Holdings FC, Shirley’s FC, and Matansa FC. Santos, who is one of the best attacking midfielders in the history of Hong Kong football, and Tsui taught participants the basic of the sport.

Included in the drills was a warm-up exercise where two players faced each other while Tsui, a former captain of the Eastern A.A. Football Team and a former national player of Hong Kong, instructed them to touch the different parts of their respective body from head to foot and repeat the practice then players fought for the ball in the end. The drill drew a big laugh from U15 players who withstood the scorching heat to complete the two-hour clinic. The youth players also had a chance to practice the trademark moves of former Chelsea star players, including first captain John Terry.

The clinic will continue today and it will be the turn of U18 players and the men’s and women’s teams of various clubs to learn from Santos and company. The Thursday clinic will run from 4 to 7pm.

The Chelsea FC Hong Kong coaches will conduct the last day of the clinic tomorrow from 5pm to 7pm. This time, the clinic will be for coaches of Tan Holdings FC, Matansa FC, Shirley’s FC, MP United FC, Paire FC, and Independents FC.

Then on Saturday, the group will be among the guests of honor in the opening of the Saipan Soccer School and the TSL Sports Complex at 4pm. Santos and company will complete their Saipan trip on Sunday with a friendly 11-a-side match against players from Saipan Soccer School at 5pm at Oleai. The visitors will return to Hong Kong on Monday.