Tiger Street Football to expand to Cambodia, Australia and Mongolia

According to a spokesperson for Tiger Beer, the idea was always to expand to countries where the brand's beer is brewed. “These markets are ready for activation,” said the spokesperson.

In Cambodia, the event will be promoted through both ATL and BTL advertising, such as TV, radio, magazine, newspaper, web advertising, Facebook, street-banner advertising and outlet promotions. 

“By tapping into the pulse of bustling Asian megacities, we aim to strengthen our commitment towards developing the game across the region,” said Edmond Neo, director, group commercial, Asia Pacific Breweries.

Last year, 7,500 players from 1,500 teams took part, and this year’s edition hopes to significantly increase the level of participation across the region, according to the companies. The event kicks off in Phnom Penh on 15 and 16 March. Sydney, Ulaanbaatar, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City are the other host cities. Street football teams from Argentina, England, France, Germany, Holland, Spain, Sweden and Brazil are set to participate. The winners from each country will play for the grand prize of US$30,000 at the final event in Guangzhou, China.

Organisers have also roped in former Italian footballer Fabio Cannavaro as tournament ambassador. He takes over from Dutch footballer Edgar Davids.

Tiger Street Football is a five-a-side competition consisting of two six-minute halves, with two minutes of half time. In each city, the national competition, featuring local teams, will be played on the first day of the competition. The top four local teams will qualify for the international contest, to be played the next day, in which local teams will compete against two international teams and two regional teams. A total of six international champions will move on to the grand finals in China.

The games will be broadcast live across the region on Fox Sports.