Club Legend Steve McManaman excites soccer enthusiasts of all ages

HONG KONG, June 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As the proud Official Training Partner of Liverpool F.C. (LFC), AXA Hong Kong and Macau (AXA) joined hands with LFC to host the AXA x Liverpool FC Soccer Clinic (Soccer Clinic) on 20 May, generating positive social impact and contributing to the community we served.  On the event day, we invited over a hundred soccer enthusiasts from all ages to participate in the Soccer Clinic to play soccer "The Liverpool Way" with the Club legend, Steve McManaman, who made a total of 364 appearances as a winger and scored 66 goals for the Club, and coaches from LFC.

The Soccer Clinic was an event that aimed to bring soccer enthusiasts together to enjoy the fun and satisfaction from sports, and encouraged people from all ages to live a healthier life. All participants wore a smiley face during the event and had a great time.

The event successfully attracted soccer enthusiasts including our colleagues, partners, families and friends of all ages in Hong Kong. With the support of Caritas Hong Kong, the event was also extended to the silver hair community. Hence, participants from all walks of life had the opportunity to experience the unique opportunity to play soccer with LFC coaches and with Steve McManaman to acquire more professional techniques.

Since the beginning of AXA's partnership with LFC in 2018, we have been supporting the common goals of promoting well-being, facilitating healthy lifestyles, and creating positive progress for both our customers and LFC fans. This is in line with AXA's purpose: Act for human progress by protecting what matters.

Sally Wan, Chief Executive Officer, AXA Greater China said, "This co-host Soccer Clinic with LFC has brought meaningful benefits to our customers, colleagues, and the community and it has also unleashed the power of our partnership with LFC. At AXA, we believe that through sports, we can build self-confidence, learn to embrace the #KnowYouCan spirit, and more importantly achieve holistic wellness. Moving forward, not only are we committed to continue to provide innovative insurance solutions to protect our customers, we will also support our customers and the wider community to believe a better life is within their reach."

At the Soccer Clinic, Steve McManaman also shared his views on how he has prepared for his life beyond a professional soccer player and how he maintains a healthy lifestyle:

Steve McManaman, said, "In my view, it is easy for everyone to keep a heathy lifestyle. The key is to exercise, healthy eating and enjoy life. Exercise not only helps me to keep physically fit, it also gives me a lot of joy. A well-balanced diet provides the required nutrients while at the same time, improves my immune system. Last but not least, we should always enjoy what we are doing, so we have a positive outlook and reap the full benefits.

He added that, "All professional athletes know they are not going to be playing full time as we advance in our age, so we need to plan for what happens next as a post-playing career. For me personally, the excitement of a full-time soccer player has successfully been repurposed to generate positivity to people I interact with and to help others and live a wonderful and purposeful life."

A snapshot of the event day:

Group photo of LFC Legend Steve McManaman, together with the Club’s coaches, senior management from AXA Hong Kong and Macau, as well as participants from the men, women and kids groups. (Last row from left forth: Kenneth Lai, Chief General Insurance Officer; Andrea Wong, Chief Marketing and Customer Officer; Gordon Watson, CEO of AXA Asia & Africa; Sally Wan, CEO of AXA Greater China; Steve McManaman, LFC Legend; Laurent Cholvy, Chief Financial Officer; Dr. Alex Chiu, Chief Medical Officer)

About AXA Hong Kong and Macau

AXA Hong Kong and Macau is a member of the AXA Group, a leading global insurer with presence in 51 markets and serving 93 million customers worldwide. Our purpose is to act for human progress by protecting what matters. Our overall Sustainability Strategy, with emphasis on climate strategy and biodiversity commitment, is developed based on TCFD recommendations. We strive to contribute to a sustainable future as an investor, insurer and an exemplary company.

As one of the most diversified insurers offering integrated solutions across Life, Health and General Insurance, our goal is to be the insurance and holistic wellness partner to the individuals, businesses and community we serve.  At the core of our service commitment is continuous product innovation and customer experience enrichment, which is achieved through actively listening to our customers and leveraging technology and digital transformation.

We embrace our responsibility to be a force for good to create shared value for our community. We are proud to be the first insurer in Hong Kong and Macau to address the importance of mental health through different products and services such as offering free mindfulness practice resources through Mind Charger which is fully accessible to our customers and the public via our holistic wellness platform AXA BetterMe. 

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Source: AXA Hong Kong and Macau