BARÇA ACADEMY SUMMER CAMP KICKS OFF IN HAIKOU, CHINA

[Haikou, China – 1 August 2018] The Barça Academy at Mission Hills Haikou on Hainan Island kicked off its 2018 summer camp this week. 

This is the third camp hosted by the Barça Academy in Haikou, giving young footballers from all over China the chance to enjoy an intense week of high-quality coaching and get a taste of what it feels like to play for one of the most successful and best loved football clubs in the world. 

An opening ceremony was held at the Mission Hills Football Training Headquarters, home of the Barça Academy Pro Haikou, and was attended by representatives from both FC Barcelona and Mission Hills Group. 

Tenniel Chu, Group Vice-Chairman of Mission Hills commented:  "We are delighted to see so many youngsters in China showing a passion for football.  Mission Hills has a grand vision to create a legacy for the beautiful game in this country through our partnership with FC Barcelona, the most-loved football club in the world.  We believe our footballing dream can act as a platform for a future generation of footballers in China." 

FC Barcelona’s Toni Claveria, Head of Academies in Asia Pacific, explained:  “The club has a vision to train aspiring young footballers with professional skills and methodology based on Barça’s key values: humility, effort, ambition, respect and teamwork.” 

Over two 5-day camps, more than 330 budding young footballers will enjoy an authentic Barça training experience on FIFA accredited football pitches, led by the Academy’s Technical Director Pau Lopez and his coaching team from Barcelona.  With further help from a team of local coaches and translators, training sessions includes both technique and methodology, aiming to give each and every player a scientific, systematic and holistic approach to playing the Barça way. 

Barça Academy Pro Haikou was established in February 2017, following a ground breaking strategic collaboration between Mission Hills Group and FC Barcelona. It is the first football school outside of Barcelona to be under direct management of the club, and part of a greater project between the two partners, also including an experience centre, a store and a themed restaurant, all aiming at nurturing grassroots football and discovering local sporting talents. 

Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho joined officials from FC Barcelona and Mission Hills Group for the opening of the Barça Academy Pro Haikou in February 2017 

The 2018 Barça Academy summer camp kicks off at Mission Hills Haikou in Hainan, China 

The 2018 Barça Academy summer camp kicks off at Mission Hills Haikou in Hainan, China 

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ABOUT MISSION HILLS GROUP 

Mission Hills Group, owner and operator of Mission Hills resorts in the heart of the Pearl River Delta and on the tropical island of Hainan, is synonymous with leisure, wellness, entertainment and luxury. 

Founded in 1992, Mission Hills is recognized as one of the world’s leading golf brands and a pioneer in China’s hospitality, sports and leisure industry. The world-class integrated leisure and wellness resort destinations have hosted more than 100 international tournaments, dating back to the World Cup of Golf in 1995, the first international golf tournament in China. Mission Hills has also been accredited by the Guinness World Records as the “World’s Largest Golf Club” and the “World’s Largest Mineral Springs and Spa Resort”. 

Mission Hills’ properties sprawl over 40 square kilometres. They include 22 championship courses designed by renowned players and architects from five continents, five-star resorts, award-winning spas and volcanic mineral springs, international convention centres, state-of-the-art golf academies, a 20-pitch football training base, Asia’s largest basketball school and Asia’s biggest tennis facility. Mission Hills is also the official training headquarters for China’s Tennis, Football and Golf Associations. 

The Group’s ‘golf and more’ leisure philosophy has seen its tourism-related business expand into a leisure hub for multi-generational families. Mission Hills Centreville in Shenzhen and Haikou provides integrated shopping, recreational, business, education, entertainment, leisure and cultural experiences, including Bromsgrove School Mission Hills in Shenzhen in collaboration with the historic British boarding school. Mission Hills has also extended its foray into the hospitality industry by partnering with world-renowned hotel brands such as Hard Rock, Renaissance and Ritz-Carlton. These collaborations have seen the opening of Ritz-Carlton’s first golf resort hotel in China and China’s first Hard Rock Hotel in Shenzhen. 

Other significant projects include Movie Town in Haikou in partnership with China’s largest film production company, Huayi Brothers Media Corporation and award-winning director, Feng Xiaogang and China’s first Wet’n’Wild water park in collaboration with Australia’s leading entertainment group and largest theme park operator, Village Roadshow Limited. 

Mission Hills has also announced ground-breaking partnerships with FC Barcelona and the NBA to bring the world’s most famous football club and the world’s largest professional basketball league to its Haikou resort, making Hainan island a leading hub for football and basketball development in China. 

For more information and latest updates, visit www.missionhillschina.com or follow Mission Hills China on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.