A press conference in Cyta provided details on the 17th edition of one of the biggest football academy tournaments in Europe.
With the participation of 334 teams from Cyprus, Great Britain, Poland, Romania, Lebanon and Jordan, the Ayia Napa Soccer Festival is held on April 8-12, the oldest football academies in Cyprus and one of the largest football tournaments in Europe. About 5.000 children 6-16 will take part in ten age categories (2001-2010). Ayia Napa is ready to receive more than 20.000 visitors, 750 of whom are from abroad. The matches will be refereed by 90 referees, while the event is supported by 50 volunteers.
Details for the Ayia Napa Soccer Festival 2017 were given on Thursday morning (30/3) at a press conference at the amphitheater of Cyta headquarters in Nicosia. Cytavision is for the second year a television partner of the event and will broadcast live the six finals and the awards, on April 12 (14:00 - 19:00). Ayia Napa Soccer Festival is under the auspices of the KOP and the Municipality of Ayia Napa. A major sponsor is the Cyprus Tourism Organization. Sponsors are also Pascal Education, Ocean Basket restaurants, MS Jacovides with Nurofen and Futoro products as well as Water World Waterpark. The reception that followed the press conference was hosted by the well-known Debbie's Cookies stores.
"Start of tourist season"
The head of the Organizing Committee Mr. Christos Konstantinou, on behalf of the SoccerWorldCyprus Association that organizes the tournament, stood at the size of the event, but also at the international dimensions it has received in recent years. "Ayia Napa is ready to welcome the 20.000 visitors brought by the event, which essentially announces the beginning of the tourist season," said Ayia Napa Mayor Giannis Karousos, who stressed that "the Ayia Napa Soccer Festival is one of the key reasons that the tourist season in Ayia Napa has been extended ". He stressed that "the Municipality will invest 1.2 million euros in the next three years to improve the Ayia Napa Sports Center" in the 16 stadiums - regular football dimensions, with natural turf - of the Municipality, which are the more than 750 games of the event.
Five hours live broadcast
"Cytavision supports the largest football academy tournament in Cyprus, highlighting the efforts of the children who we hope will staff the First Division teams in the coming years," explained Ms. Antigoni Modestou, Senior Director - Finance & Management. Cytavision Sports 4 live connection to Ayia Napa will last five hours this year. A message of sportsmanship and noble rivalry was sent by the head of the Children's Championships of the KOP, Mr. Haris Kyrillou, emphasizing that "at these ages it is not the first place that matters but the joy of participation and the game".
"We believed and invested"
On behalf of the Cyprus Tourism Organization, Ms. Maria Solomou said that "the CTO believed in and invested in the Ayia Napa Soccer Festival and sees with satisfaction that arrivals from abroad are increasing rapidly" while noting that "the Municipality of Ayia Napa is one of first to invest in sports tourism as a measure to address the problem of seasonality, so we will continue to be by his side.
The role of coaches
The event is supported by the Football Coaches Association. The president Mr. Andros Kouloumbris stressed the importance of the role of the coach explaining that "with his behavior the coach should be a model for both footballers and parents" while he said that "members of the Board of the Association will attend the event intervening where it is judged that the behavior of a coach can be improved ".
Race schedule
In the morning, the schedule of the games of the group stage became known, which start on the morning of Saturday, April 8 and at certain ages last until Holy Tuesday, April 11. On Holy Wednesday, April 12, there will be semifinals in some categories, finals and awards. The program is posted on www.ayianapasoccerfestival.com.