With Nea Salamina (Famagusta) beating AEL 5-3 on penalties, after a shocking game in the U16 final, the curtain fell on late Tuesday afternoon on the international Ayia Napa Youth Soccer Festival which was held with great success for eleventh consecutive year…
The finals were watched by about 500 spectators. And on the last day, great active and veteran football players, such as Costas Malekkos, Costas Kaiafas, Giotis Egkomitis and Christos Kotsonis, passed through the stadiums of Ayia Napa.
No club or private academy has won more than one age category, with Omonia and Olympiakos Piraeus having three finals appearances. The tournament was attended by 172 teams from Cyprus, England, Lebanon, Jordan and Norway and about 3.000 children aged 8-16.
The title of MVP in the U16 was won by Christos Tsoukkas of Nea Salamina, who also emerged as the best goalkeeper, catching the penultimate penalty of AEL in the "Russian roulette" of the final. The match was shocking, AEL, under the watch of Raimon Atefeld, had the trophy in their arms, but Giannis Kousoulos equalized in the delays and sent the game to the 15-minute extra time.
Penalties were also needed in the category of those born in 1999 (U13), as the final between Akadimias Efthymiadis - Omonia ended 1-1, but Akadimia Efthymiadis won the cup in the psychedelic process. In the U14 cup the Union emerged as the prevailing 1-0 of Omonia and in the U15 the Olympiakos of Nicosia, winning 3-0 the Renaissance of Deryneia.
The tournament was an event of Soccer World Cyprus and A.O. Ayia Napa, sponsored by McDonald's, Corny cereal bars and Waterworld - Waterpark, with support from Ayia Napa Municipality, CTO, ACS Sports Innovation and IMK Sports. Communication sponsors were I KATHIMERINI and 24sports.com.cy.
A maximum of 40 volunteers from Cyprus and Greece contributed to the event, while referees from Cyprus and seven other Central and Northern European countries whistled the race.
The races were attended by many scouts, including two envoys from the Elite Bailey School, which works with Premier League teams. They selected several children who will be invited to a training camp on May 19-20 in Ayia Napa. Some of them will see their dream come true as they are selected to take part in trials in England this summer.
It is estimated that about 10.000 people moved to the free area of Famagusta during the days of the tournament, with the hotels of Ayia Napa - Protaras benefiting an equal number of nights.
Organizers, contestants, sponsors, volunteers and referees renewed the appointment for the last weekend before Easter 2013, when the 12th Ayia Napa Youth Soccer Festival will take place.
THE WINNERS BY CATEGORY
1996
Nea Salamina (Famagusta) - AEL 1-1 (5-3pen)
1997
Renaissance Deryneia - Olympiakos Nicosia 0-3
1998
Omonia - Union 0-1
1999
Efthymiadis Academy - Omonia 1-1 (5-4pen)
2000
OSFP (Limassol) - Omonia (Nicosia) 1-0
2001
Junior / Digenis - Atromitos Geroskipou 2-1
2002
Lake Soccer Kids Soccer - Poseidon 2-1
2003
OSFP (Larnaca) - OSFP (Limassol) 4-3
2004
OSFP (Famagusta) Young Stars 1-5