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Transguard invests in sports scholarship trust DUBAI, UAE, 14th September 2009 - Transguard Group takes lead with novel corporate social responsibility programme supporting underprivileged children at Elite Sporting Academy Transguard Group, an Emirates Group company, which recently became the majority shareholder in Transguard Elite Sporting Academy (TESA) is to provide the opportunity of a lifetime to four youngsters - free education at one of the world’s most prestigious schools and world-class coaching with the chance of a professional career in rugby or football. The scholarships – worth more than US$47,000 (AED175,000) per year each – have been awarded to youngsters of 13 years and above from the South Pacific islands, under a programme financed by TESA. The four youngsters were selected from more than 800 applicants and will begin at the Dubai-based Academy next month (October 2009). “The trust fund was set up to benefit children with great potential sporting talent who were deprived of the necessary facilities and finances to succeed in their chosen sport. Apart from setting a precedent, we are also challenging other companies and individuals to support this concept and fund both an educational and sporting pathway for underprivileged children around the world,” commented John Mamea-Wilson, Head of the Academy. The scholarships provide education and accommodation at Repton School, Dubai, the premier British curriculum school and the first boarding school in the Middle East which offers the National Curriculum for England and the International Baccalaureate Diploma. The Academy is set in 1.3 million square feet on the Repton campus in Nad Al Sheba with state-of-the-art facilities and a team of world-class sports instructors, including ex-England international footballer Carlton Palmer and former Samoa and St. Helens rugby league club legend Apollo Perelini who heads up the Academy’s rugby programme. Transguard Group is the leading security services provider in the region and has diversified interests such as facilities management, cash management, security training, consultancy, airport services and event management and now a sports management division with a top class sporting academy. “We are delighted to have become a majority stakeholder in the sports academy which is already providing youngsters with a pathway to a career in professional rugby and soccer,” said Mark Povey at Transguard. “The Academy is filling what has been, until now, a major void in the UAE and the Middle East – identifying talented players both locally and internationally and developing their potential to succeed at the very highest levels. The scholarship programme not only offers a first rate sports infrastructure it also provides a world-class education,” added Povey. The Academy is also open to both local expatriate and Emirati children and Mamea-Wilson is confident that although football is already extremely popular in the UAE, it will encourage more Emirati boys to participate and attend the Academy. “I am sure it is only a matter of time before the UAE provides, home grown talent capable of competing at the highest levels of professional football,” said Mamea-Wilson TESA, which is planning an open day on Sunday 20 September 2009 to showcase its facilities and set up to local children interested in enrolling, is the brainchild of two successful sportsmen from the South Pacific island of Samoa. They are: Everton midfielder, Tim Cahill, currently one of the most influential players in the English Premier League and a regular in the Australian national soccer team; and John Mamea-Wilson, who has coached top-flight rugby across all age groups and manages professional athletes. “For Tim, Andrew Fa’avale (one of the TESA coaches) and me, it is a huge honour to be able to give something back through the trust with this scholarship programme,” said Mamea-Wilson. “I was fortunate enough to attend Dilworth School, a great private boarding school in Auckland, New Zealand. I want that same opportunity for our scholarship children. “Major strides will be achieved once these kids leave Dubai to either further their sporting careers in a professional environment or go back home with a solid educational background and a global network of friends which they can use to make a positive impact within their own communities,” he added. For more details about Transguard Elite Sporting Academy, please visit www.elitesportingacademy.com
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