LONDON, 12 September 2026 — Inside the lounge of the Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre in London, the conversation is far removed from the commercial spectacle typically associated with Premier League sponsorships.
While Tottenham Hotspur’s world-class facilities in Enfield and the iconic Tottenham Hotspur Stadium serve as the glamorous backdrop for the ongoing AIA media tour, the true heartbeat of the global partnership lies in the grassroots communities back home in Singapore.
Sitting down with SportPlus.sg, Irma Hadikusuma, Chief Marketing and Healthcare Officer of AIA Singapore, reflects on how a relationship that began over a decade ago has evolved into a powerful vehicle for social impact, community wellness, and gender inclusivity.
"At the end of the day, it's a very unique experience for all of us in AIA Singapore," Irma says with a warm smile. "The benefits sometimes can be a bit intangible, but it's really watching them walk onto the pitch, meet the players, and seeing that surge of confidence and joyful faces on the field. That’s really priceless. Personally, it has been something very close to my heart."
Photo: AIA Singapore
Closing the Loop: The AIA Better Lives Fund
A key pillar connecting AIA Singapore’s football initiatives to community development is the AIA Better Lives Fund. Proceeds from public community events, such as the popular kids' football clinics, are channelled directly back into uplifting children and youth with special needs and from disadvantaged backgrounds.
"All proceeds from the registration of the kids' football clinics go to the Better Lives Fund," Irma explains. "In turn, this supports our adopted charities, such as Children’s Wishing Well as well as the Rainbow Centre."
Beyond fundraising, AIA actively lowers the barrier of entry to high-level sports coaching for beneficiaries.
"In all our initiatives, we try to reserve a number of spots for our adopted charities," she notes. "In 2024, for example, we reserved about 100 slots for children from Children’s Wishing Well to join the clinics free of charge. And in 2025, we conducted dedicated training and clinic sessions tailored specifically for kids from the Rainbow Centre."
These experiences provide more than just recreation; they expose young people of diverse abilities to structured coaching delivered by Tottenham Hotspur's International Development coaches, instilling confidence and teamwork.
Photo: AIA Singapore
Breaking Barriers: Championing Girls in Football
The impact of this developmental pipeline is perhaps best embodied by young Singaporean winger Hallie Marshanda Izwan.
Last year, the 14-year-old was the only female player selected among the top five youth talents from the AIA Singapore-Spurs Elite Football Camp to travel to London for an elite training stint and first-team player meet-and-greet. In a sports landscape where female athletes frequently contend with limited pathways, Hallie’s progression proved that passion and dedication know no gender boundaries.
"Hallie is a very inspiring young woman," Irma says. "She is the only girl among the five top youth talents we identified and sponsored to train in London. What we want to do through that is amplify the message that football is a universal sport. It's a very inclusive game that goes beyond gender."
For Irma, empowering young female ballers is integral to reshaping the broader conversation around fitness, aligning closely with AIA’s "Rethink Healthy" campaign.
Photo: AIA Singapore
"It doesn't matter what level of fitness you are at—as long as you are disciplined and serious about the sport, football is universal," she emphasises. "Moving forward, we want to leverage our regional platforms to amplify these stories. It goes beyond stereotypes. Sports is universal. Whether female or male, if you have the love and passion for the game, you can definitely excel."
Football as a Catalyst for Healthier, Better Lives
As AIA continues to activate its global partnership with Tottenham Hotspur—providing local coaches, grassroots players, and media alike with front-row access to elite Premier League methodology—the focus remains squarely on long-term communal wellbeing.
Whether through funding essential developmental programmes, creating bespoke football sessions for children with disabilities, or elevating trailblazing young talents like Hallie to the global stage, AIA Singapore is proving that football’s greatest victories are the ones achieved off the scoreboard