Adelaide United throw their support behind giant pandas
Adelaide United players will wear their hearts on their sleeves and giant pandas on their shorts as they join the cause to raise money for the endangered species.
The team will display Panda logos on the front of their shorts during Friday’s clash against Newcastle Jets at Hindmarsh Stadium.
The Reds and Newcastle match will be broadcast live on Fox Sports to audiences in Australia, and overseas.
The club will auction the panda shorts after the clash, with the funds raised donated to Zoos SA’s giant pandas initiative.
Striker Bruce Djite – who was on loan to China’s Jiangsu Sainty this year – lived near wild giant pandas.
This week he met six-year-old giant panda Wang Wang.
Teammate Osama Malik was also an interested giant panda fan after Adelaide Zoo and Reds officials struck a partnership to raise awareness.
Djite and Malik watched Wang Wang enjoy his panda cake before he devoured endless kilograms of his favourite SA-grown sweet bamboo while Funi was busy enjoying her breakfast on the other side of their outdoor enclosure.
“It’s important to raise awareness for the giant pandas and all animals on this planet,” Djite said. “Endangered animals especially. I’m a fan and lover of animals and the initiative by Zoos SA is fantastic.”
Djite, Malik and the rest of the Reds squad named for the Jets clash will sign the shorts with the auction items available online.
“It’s a great initiative by the club to save the giant pandas,” Djite said.
Source: Adelaide Now
