Geylang International FC and City Football Group agree to collaboration

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Geylang International
Image credit: Geylang International

Singapore Premier League club Geylang International FC have recently signed a collaboration agreement with City Football Group, owner of English Premier League Champions Manchester City FC.

The deal is set to extend the development of the Singapore-based club, laying the foundations for further strategic and comprehensive partnerships in the future.

It marks the first ever collaboration of City Football Group with a club in southeast Asia. It is set to provide Geylang International with the company’s world class football knowledge, global network, technology, expertise and practices – in turn improving the structure, operations, development and strategies of the Singaporean club.

Geylang International, once Geylang United before reverting back to their original name in 2013, have several trophies under their belt, having won six back-to-back titles in the National Football League between 1975 and 1977, and then another six in the Premier League from 1988 to 1993. Famous players who have represented the club include former Iranian internationals Hamid Estili and Mohammad Khakpour, and Singapore Golden Boy Fandi Ahmad.

Established in 2013, City Football Group have grown to become a renowned company, owning major football-related business in cities across the globe, including clubs, academies, technical support systems and marketing companies. Aside from the household name Manchester City FC, City Football Group are also the owners or partial owners of 11 other clubs, including Melbourne FC in Australia, New York City FC in the USA and Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan.

Already the partnership has seen tangible benefits for Geylang International, as the club announced the signing of Japanese attacker Yushi Yamaya, with the forward set to play a key part in the upcoming 2023 Singapore Premier League season. A former academy player for Yokohama F. Marinos, City Football Group scouted the player through their Group Football Operations department, as well as providing detailed briefs and background to Geylang International’s Coaching Staff during the signing process.

Among the other opportunities and plans for development that are set to take place following the agreement, City Football Group will assist the club in improving its network and connections with players, clubs and academies across the many countries and cities the company are well-established in.

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IMG takes commercial lead on inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup

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Image Credit: Vietnam Football Federation

IMG has been appointed to lead the global commercialisation of the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, giving the new Southeast Asian national-team competition an established international sports business partner ahead of its first edition.

Under the strategic partnership, IMG will manage worldwide media and sponsorship rights sales while also overseeing broadcast production for the tournament, which takes place from 24 September to 5 October across Indonesia and Hong Kong, China.

The inaugural competition will feature 14 national teams, including all 11 ASEAN members alongside guest nations, with matches split between two divisions. Division 2 fixtures will be played in Jakarta and Badung, while Division 2 matches will be played in Hong Kong.

The agency’s role will include selling sponsorship and media inventory internationally while helping establish the broadcast infrastructure required to present the tournament to audiences outside Southeast Asia.

The partnership builds on IMG’s existing strategic relationship with PT Garuda Sepak Bola Indonesia, which has been working with the Football Association of Indonesia since 2025 on areas including commercial strategy, media rights, production and digital development.

For FIFA, the tournament creates another international football property in a region with a large and increasingly connected football audience.

For IMG, it adds another major regional property to a football portfolio that already includes competitions and organisations across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa.

The immediate challenge will be turning the inaugural tournament into a sustainable commercial property capable of attracting broadcasters and sponsors beyond its first edition.

If successful, the FIFA ASEAN Cup could provide Southeast Asian national teams with a recurring commercial platform while giving IMG another foothold in one of football’s developing markets.

GIS Sydney continues to connect students with Australia’s sports industry

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Image Credits: Global Institute of Sport

Following the launch of its Sydney campus in 2025, the Global Institute of Sport (GIS) is continuing to establish itself in the nation’s sports industry. A leading provider of degrees and executive education in sport, GIS provides students the chance to study at two of Australia’s biggest sporting venues: Allianz Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Programs such as Sports Analytics and International Sports Business are delivered in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, and feature the chance for students to gain exclusive access to the sports industry.

More than 50 guest speakers have shared their experience with students studying at GIS Sydney, representing organisations like FIFA, Red Bull, Cricket Australia, and the AFL. While learning about the regional and national sports industry in the classroom, students have also had the chance to gain an international perspective through GIS’ signature Global Sports Summits, which have given Sydney students access to iconic sporting venues around the world from London to Miami.

Outside of the iconic venues students can call their classrooms, the organisation prioritises the real, industry placements needed to put theory into practice by providing each student with 140 hours of relevant work experience throughout their studies. Included in this are several sporting organisations who are keen to welcome GIS students on board, including the Professional Football Scouts Association (PFSA), Football Coaches Australia, and Basketball NSW.

GIS also has a partnership with popular network and app Yakka Sport to connect students with paid employment opportunities while they study.

Behind these advancements at the GIS Sydney campus is an Industry Advisory Board which features a host of experienced figures from the world of sport. Included in the Asia-Pacific branch is Chair James Rosengarten, GM of the Melbourne Renegades; Kevin Jang, Managing Director of CAA Stellar Korea; and Brad Lloyd, GM of the Carlton Football Club.

Since launching, GIS’ Sydney campus has ultimately combined its locations and industry connections to provide the next generation of sports professionals with the knowledge, network, and confidence to tackle the rapidly evolving sports industry.

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