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Hong Kong Sevens Draw Made
Written by Newcastle Utd
Newcastle have been drawn in Group A of next month's Hong Kong Football Club Citibank Soccer Sevens
Peter Beardsley's Newcastle United will face Barclays Premier League rivals Leicester City, Singapore Cricket Club and a to-be-confirmed local side in Group A of next month's Hong Kong Football Club Citibank Soccer Sevens.
The draw for the tournament - which will take place in the Happy Valley region between Friday, 29th and Sunday, 31st May - was made on Tuesday morning in the Far East.
The Magpies - who are top seeds in Group A - won the competition in 2012 and were runners-up in 2013, losing to Leicester in the final, so will be out for revenge against the Foxes.
Elsewhere, Stoke City were drawn with Spanish champions Atletico Madrid in Group D of the tournament. HKFA U-20 and Yau Yee League Select make up the other two teams in the high-profile group.
West Ham United, playing in the Sevens for the first time since 2012, will face Hong Kong champions Kitchee - the 2011 winners and last year's finalists - Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG and HKFC Captain's Select in Group B.
In Group C, five-time champions Aston Villa were drawn with first-timers Wellington Phoenix of New Zealand, a Hong Kong Premier League club and hosts Hong Kong Football Club.
Citibank, which has title sponsored the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens since 2011, also confirmed a new four-year title sponsorship of the event which will run until 2018.
Weber Lo, Citi country officer and chief executive officer, Hong Kong and Macau, said: "We are thrilled to be the title sponsor for the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens once again this year. Citi is committed to continue building this event into one of the world's best seven-a-side tournaments.
"On this note, it's exciting to see Spanish champions Atletico Madrid in this year's event, which shows how its reputation is growing globally. We're also proud to welcome Wellington Phoenix and Shanghai SIPG for the first time, and expect strong support for the five English Premier League clubs and local Hong Kong teams."
Tony Bratsanos, chairman of the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens organising committee, said Citibank's sponsorship enabled the tournament to attract international teams, with clubs coming from England, Spain, New Zealand, China and Singapore this year.
"Citibank's sponsorship is huge for the tournament and will enable us to keep growing this event. Obviously Atletico Madrid are a huge draw this year, while Aston Villa, Newcastle, West Ham and Leicester have a traditional fanbase at the tournament, having competed before," Bratsanos said.
"Stoke City are coming for the first time, which is exciting because The Potters are enjoying a strong season. Wellington Phoenix and Shanghai SIPG are bringing experienced squads for their debut, so should be pretty competitive."
In the Masters Tournament for over-35 players, Wallsend Boys Club and USRC - BTS were drawn as the top seeds in Group A, which also features Kitchee All Stars, Kowloon Cricket Club and HKFC Veterans.
Seeds Citibank All Stars and Nottingham Forest Mobsters headline Group B, which includes SCC Tigers, Discovery Bay and HKFC Chairman's Select.
This year's ten-team Masters Tournament has a new format, starting with two round-robin groups followed by the Cup semi-finals and final.
Entry is free on the Friday evening, while tickets for the weekend are priced at HK$160 per day or HK$300 for a two-day pass and will be available through Cityline (www.cityline.com). The tournament will start with the opening round of Masters group games on the Friday evening (29th May).
Main Tournament
Group A: Newcastle United (ENG), Leicester City (ENG), HK Premier League Club 1 (HKG), Singapore Cricket Club (SIN)
Group B: West Ham United (ENG), Kitchee (HKG), Shanghai SIPG (CHN), HKFC Captain's Select (HKG)
Group C: Aston Villa (ENG), Wellington Phoenix (NZL), HK Premier League Club 2 (HKG), Hong Kong Football Club (HKG)
Group D: Stoke City (ENG), Atletico Madrid (SPA), HKFA U-20 (HKG), Yau Yee League Select (HKG)
Masters Tournament
Group A: Wallsend Boys Club (ENG), USRC - BTS (HKG), Kitchee All Stars (HKG), Kowloon Cricket Club (HKG), HKFC Veterans (HKG)
Group B: Citibank All Stars (INT), Nottingham Forest Mobsters (ENG), SCC Tigers (SIN), Discovery Bay (HKG), HKFC Chairman's Select (HKG)