(23 July 2014 – Hong Kong) New World Department Store China Limited (“NWDS” or the “Company”; Hong Kong stock code: 825), one of the largest owners and operators of department stores in Mainland China, is always concerned about the well-being of under-resourced children. When the whole country was immersed in the red-hot atmosphere of World Cup, the Company co-organized with Youth Daily once again to launch the “@Sports – Soccer Dreams” activity. The activity included a public recruitment of soccer ball and related equipment at 10 NWDS Shanghai stores from June 20 to July 9, and a spectacular football lesson taught by Mr. Cheng Yaodong, the coach of the Shanghai Shenxin Football Club and Mr. Wang Yun, the player of the Chinese Football Association Super League, on 12 July to celebrate the joy of World Cup with about 70 soccer-enthused migrant children.

The country was swept up by World Cup fever. However, due to the relatively outdated soccer equipment available in schools and the lack of professional training affordable to children from less affluent families, soccer-enthused children could easily feel desolated under the backdrop of World Cup. In view of this, the Company partnered with Youth Daily again following the successful launch of the “@Soul - Santa Claus is Coming” last Christmas, and initiated the “@Sport – Soccer Dreams” charitable activity together with it, the Shanghai Shenxin Football Club and the Pengpu Xincun Community (Neighborhood) Group Working Committee during the World Cup period. Through the recruitment of soccer-related materials from the community and the provision of formal soccer guidance to migrant children, the activity helped teach them team spirit and adjust to city life.

On 12 July, NWDS volunteers paid a visit to about 70 children from Pengpu Xincun community with over 200 pieces of soccer balls, sports wears, sports water bottles and sports-related books collected from customers and NWDS employees along. Mr. Cheng Yaodong and Mr. Wang Yun, the head coach and the star player from the Shanghai Shenxin Football Club, a heavyweight team of Chinese Football Association Super League, joined the Company to lecture an interactive soccer lesson. The little soccer fans learnt a great deal not only from Coach Cheng and Wang on the sharing of their own soccer-learning stories and appropriate soccer movie and comic recommendations, but also Wang’s live demonstration on the juggling, passing and heading moves. Later on, children were divided into four teams to play a mini World Cup tournament. The players in the winning team proceeded to the penalty kick contest to compete for the title of individual champion. Under the patient guidance of Coach Cheng and Wang, a competitive penalty shoot-out was staged. Players with no goals were eliminated and the shooting range was increased in every round to elevate the difficulty level. Finally, a little boy was awarded as the champion and received a jersey with autographs from the Shanghai Shenxin Football Club players to put a perfect ending to the activity.

Ms. Rebecca Woo, Corporate Affairs Director and Chairman of Sustainability Steering Committee of NWDS, said, “The World Cup aims at promoting fraternity and integration. Due to the living constraints and busy working parents, it is difficult for migrant children to integrate into city life. Therefore, the Company particularly organized this activity during the World Cup period to give migrant children an opportunity to receive professional soccer training, allowing them to enjoy the amusement of soccer and to embrace the World Cup fever swept across the city. We are delighted that the activity gained supports from Youth Daily, the Shanghai Shenxin Football Club and other parties, and deeply moved from the moves of some warm-hearted customers and employees who bought football supplies for donation in purpose. In the future, we hope that more enterprises and customers can make contribution to the society, offering more care and warmth to migrant children.”

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