St. Tournament Napa: In battle 172 teams, 3.000 children

The weekend will be the group stage matches in the nine age categories of the tournament, on Holy Monday the knockouts will take place and on the afternoon of Holy Tuesday the finals, with the promotion of the MVP, the top scorer, the best goalkeeper and the team ethics, in each category.

The final for those born in 1996, in the older age category of the Ayia Napa Youth Soccer Festival, will take place at the Ayia Napa Community Stadium. The state-of-the-art facilities of the municipality number a total of 16 small and larger fields, with natural turf.

The most numerous category is that of those born in 2002 with the participation of 28 teams, while the fewest participations are in the 16-year-olds, with only 8 teams. Those born in 2000, 2001 and 2003 have 24 teams in each category. A Norwegian team of 16- and 17-year-old girls competing with boys born in 1998 also takes part in the tournament.

The races are watched by the British scouts Danny and Trevor Bailey.

As an academy tournament is not just a ball, the Cyprus Police also has a kiosk in the area that informs young children and their parents about proper driving, drug plagues and violence on the pitch.

The Ayia Napa Youth Soccer Festival is co-organized by Soccer World Cyprus and A.O. Ayia Napa, with support from Ayia Napa Municipality, CTO and ACS Sports Innovation, sponsored by McDonald's and Corny cereal bars.

More information, schedule and results at www.soccerworldcyprustournaments.com

Source: KATHIMERINI newspaper