JAKARTA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia kicked off on Thursday the 2024 Garuda International Cup youth soccer tournament at the Sentul training ground in West Java Province.
The event, which runs until Sunday, has attracted 48 teams from across Asia. In addition to the host nation, the participating countries and regions include China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia and Singapore. These teams are divided into three age groups based on age categories.
According to the organizers, a number of elite Asian academy teams are participating, including Guangzhou and Zhejiang from China, Shonan Bellmare and Tokyo Selection from Japan, ASIOP from Indonesia, and Johor Darul Ta'zim from Malaysia.
The event's chief organizer, Wahyu Budiarto, said in the opening ceremony that the tournament is the largest youth soccer championship Indonesia ever held, and it is the fourth time the country has hosted the event, following the tournaments in 2015, 2022 and 2023.
"This year the tournament carries the slogan of 'The Season is Coming, Let's Have Fun'. We hope this can be a new pride for Indonesia," Budiarto said.
Hasjim Djojohadikusumo, Garuda International Cup Advisory Board member, said the tournament was expected to give experience for young Indonesian footballers to compete with foreign teams.
"I believe by investing in youths, like this kind of event, Indonesia can open up huge economic opportunities and increase sports tourism," he said. ■
