ASHFIELD COUNCILLOR APPOINTED AS AMBASSADOR FOR ASIAN CUP

Ashfield Councillor Jeanette Wang has been appointed a Community Ambassadors the AFC Asian Cup, which Australia is hosting for the first time in January 2015. 

CEO of the 2015 Asian Cup Local Organising Committee Michael Brown said Ms Wang would join more than 200 other leading Asian-Australians as Community Ambassadors for Asia’s largest sporting event. 

“Australia is home to people that have come from right across the Asian continent,” Mr Brown said. 

“We are encouraging these people to come and support the Socceroos in January 2015, but also to support the country of their origin and to use the Asian Cup as an opportunity to celebrate their cultures.” 

“We are appointing community leaders like Jeanette Wang as Community Ambassadors for the Asian Cup and asking them to help make this event a cultural celebration for the 2.5 million people of Asian heritage living in Australia.” 

Jeanette Wang immigrated to Australia from Beijing in 1992 and since that time has made a significant contribution to the community in Sydney’s inner-west. As well as being a leader of various Chinese community organisations, Clr Wang is involved in a number of sporting and community groups in and around Ashfield. As a Councillor with the Ashfield Council, part of Clr Wang’s focus has been on improving multicultural activities within the diverse Ashfield community. 

“The Asian Cup is a great opportunity for Australians of Asian heritage to not only support football but celebrate the diverse range of cultures that are part of Australia today,” Clr Wang said. 

“I am looking forward to involving the local Chinese community in the event, but also the other communities that are in the Ashfield area. This is a rare opportunity to be part of an international sporting event.” 

Mr Brown said the AFC Asian Cup will be the biggest football tournament Australia has ever hosted. 

“The best 16 football nations in Asia will be here playing in our backyard,” Mr Brown said. 

“That includes FIFA World Cup teams like Japan, Korea and Iran, but also big nations that will be of great interest to many Australians such as China and Iraq.We expect 500,000 people will watch the matches in stadiums and 700 million to be watching on TV across Asia and around the world.” 

AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 will take place from January 9-31 in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Newcastle. The tournament is being jointly funded by the Australian Government and the NSW, Victorian, Queensland and ACT Governments. For more information on AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 visit www.afcasiancup.com

Follow this link to the Inner West Courier Newspaper article on 5th August 2014 for more details:
http://newslocal.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx