The Ayia Napa International Tournament, the oldest football academy event in Cyprus, but also one of the largest tournaments in Europe, is being held this year on April 8-12, with the participation of 19 teams from abroad. The tournament is organized by the SoccerWorldCyprus association, which through persistent actions and with the support of the Cyprus Tourism Organization, achieved the expansion of the reputation of the event internationally.
After the 10 foreign teams that took part last year, 19 teams from seven different academies, from Great Britain, Poland, Romania, Lebanon and Jordan, have registered for this year's event. This year's tournament is attended by the academies Modern Star, Beirut FA, Athletico SC from Lebanon, the British First Touch 04, the Romanian Pro Sport Bucuresti, the Polish Polish Soccer Skills and the Knights FA from Jordan. Athletico SC participates with five teams, while the other academies bring 2-3 teams, with the sole exception of the Beirut FA, which descends to Ayia Napa with only one team.
"Over 500 arrivals"
"More than 500 people come to Cyprus from these seven academies. We are talking about footballers, coaches, escorts and parents, who take the opportunity for a week off. If we count the referees and the rest of the world (volunteers, scouts) that arrive from abroad for the event, then the arrivals far exceed 500 ", explains Christos Konstantinou, director of the SoccerWorldCyprus association and head of the Organizing Committee. "With an average stay of five nights, Ayia Napa benefits from 2.500 - 3.000 overnight stays of foreign visitors arriving in Cyprus just for the tournament. Plus a few tens of thousands of overnight stays of locals, since this year we expect about 5.000 football players, 6-16 years old ", adds Mr. Konstantinou.
With 334 teams
In the 2017 Ayia Napa International Tournament, 334 teams will take part, divided into ten age categories. The number is a record, since last year 320 teams participated and last year 297. 82 Clubs have been formed, in the majority of the 4 teams - there are a few groups of 5 teams. The Group stage includes over 500 games. The Municipal Stadium of Ayia Napa and the 15 stadiums of the Municipality of Ayia Napa, which have natural turf, will be used.
The event is under the auspices of the KOP and the Municipality of Ayia Napa, while a major sponsor is the CTO. The official TV partner is Cytavision, which will broadcast six finals live. They sponsor the Ocean Basket restaurants, the Greek School PASKAL and the Pascal English School, while supporting the WaterWorld Watepark and the Elite Sporting Club in Larnaca. Official suppliers are Sports Gear and Farmakas water.
Source: SigmaLive