Borussia Dortmund and Evonik help train young soccer players in China
This October, at the invitation of Evonik Industries AG, the youth coaches from the German soccer club Brussia Dortmund conducted three soccer clinics in Shanghai, where about 150 children from local schools received fun and professional soccer trainings. This is the second time the BVB Evonik soccer school was held in China after the 2016 debut.
Dr. Claas Klasen, President of Evonik Asia Pacific North said, “ At Evonik we take responsibility not only for our business, our employees and the environment but also the society. Together with our partner Borussia Dortmund, we aim to further promote football in China, especially to lead the younger generation for a positive lifestyle and inspire them to create a bright future.”
The first stop of the BVB Evonik Soccer School was the Sports Center in Shanghai Chemical Industry Park with two football teams from two primary schools in Fengxian District. One day later the two German coaches arrived at Hua Hong School for a session co-organized with German Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, where they gave training to 50 pupils from 6 schools in Minghang and Pudong Disctricts. Representatives from Minhang Education Bureau, German Consulate General, Shanghai Charity Foundation, BVB China and Evonik Industries delivered speeches at the event. On the third day, 40 kids from Evonik employees families joined the training at Sports Center in Shanghai Chemical Industry Park as the closure of the the short but fruitful trip.
Soccer is the biggest sport in the world and a fast growing sport in China. The country is striving to become a soccer power and, the importance of developing and coaching young players in hopes to groom future soccer stars has been emphasized by the governments for the past years.
Borussia Dortmund and Evonik has joined forces for training to the youth soccer training for a long time. Since 2011, the BVB Evonik Soccer School has trained more than 12,000 children and youth every year worldwide. Kids learn here the theory and practice of the sport, but above all they enjoy the game and understand football has the power to promote fairness, respect and team spirit.
Company information
Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders
in specialty chemicals. Profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company form the heart of Evonik’s corporate strategy. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik benefits specifically from its innovative prowess and integrated technology platforms. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world with more than 36,000 employees. In fiscal 2016 the enterprise generated sales of around €12.7 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of about €2.165 billion.
Evonik’s international activities are organized into six regions. The Asia Pacific North region consists of China, Taiwan, Japan & Korea, and is headquartered in Shanghai. Sales in Asia Pacific North reached 1,947 million euros in 2016. Evonik regards China as one of the driving forces of the global economy and we consequently endeavour to grow our business here. The company now employs about 3,000 employees and has in total of 10 production sites in China.
Disclaimer
In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.