Angkor Tiger owner donates $25k to help supporters, fans

Angkor Tiger owner donates $25k to help supporters, fans

Angkor Tiger FC owner Akihiro Kato and his business partners from Japan have jointly donated $25,000 to help the team’s legions of fans and supporters in Cambodia.

In an interview, Akihiro said that he and his partners decided to give the donation after meeting with the leaders of Tiger Army. Tiger Army is the name of the team’s core supporters.

These leaders, according to Akihiro, told him that many of the team’s fans found themselves with no or reduced incomes because of the economic downturn that came with the Coronavirus pandemic.

The bulk of Angkor Tiger FC’s fans and supporters is from Siem Reap, where tourism is the main industry and employer. Cambodia’s tourism industry has been hit hard by the outbreak.

“I was shedding tears when I heard them. Angkor Tiger FC received power, encouragement, and unwavering support from Tiger Army and other fans. I was thinking that it is now our turn to help them this time,” he said.

Angkor Tiger FC’s mission, according to him, is to provide is to fulfill the dreams and provide hope to the Khmer people, especially the ones from Siem Reap. “I was doing it according to our mission,” he noted.

Akihiro owns Angkor Tiger FC, together with several other Japanese businessmen, including Yuso Fujisaki, Shigeki Taguchi, and Shigeki Ishida.

Of the money, $10,000 went to Tiger Army, while the remaining $15,000 was for the team’s other fans and supporters.

The recipients will receive the donation in the form of rice, noodles, and drinks, according to Yusuke Shinoda, general manager of Angkor Tiger FC.

Angkor Tiger FC, which is based in Siem Reap, is among the most popular teams in the Metfone Cambodian League (MCL), the top football league in the Kingdom.

In the 2018 and 2019 Cambodia Football Awards, Angkor Tiger FC was voted as the ‘Most Popular Club in Cambodia’.

Angkor Tiger FC currently sits at fourth place in the MCL with two wins, two draws and a single loss after five matches. The onset of Coronavirus forced the temporary suspension of the MCL. Organizers have to yet to announce the resumption of matches.

Earlier, Angkor Tiger FC expressed optimism that it will do better this year and top its previous ranking. It also moved to another place called Siem Reap United FC.

Other teams playing in the MCL, including Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC, have also extended assistance to people affected by the health crisis. So far, Cambodia has 122 confirmed cases of Coronavirus infection. Khmer Times