'Chungju Apple Cup National Youth Soccer Festival' Opens in Chungju

The '2023 Chungju Apple Cup National Youth Soccer Club Festival' opened on the 27th and is being held over two days at the Chungju Youth Soccer Stadium in Chungju, Chungbuk.

2023 Chungju Apple Cup National Youth Soccer Club Festival
Photo by SH Sports Agency

The matches are played as 7-a-side for the elementary division, and 5-a-side for the kindergarten and mothers' divisions. On the 27th, the lower grades (kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade) compete, and on the 28th, the upper grades (4th grade, U12) and mothers' division (mothers with soccer player children, mothers of Korea) matches take place. SH Sports Agency, the organizer and host of the tournament, newly added the mothers' division this year to the existing format.

The match duration is a total of 12 minutes. Awards are given for champion, runner-up, joint third place, fair play team, best coach, excellent coach, best player, and excellent player. Prize money is awarded in Chungju local gift certificates as part of a regional economic revitalization plan: 300,000 KRW for the champion, 200,000 KRW for the runner-up, and 100,000 KRW for joint third place.

Besides soccer, the Chungju Volunteer Center has prepared various experience programs such as parking volunteer service, balloon art, POP calligraphy, sock crafts, and woodworking to help not only players but also their families enjoy diverse activities.

The tournament organizers have also prepared promotional marketing that links sports culture tourism with the development and promotion of various sightseeing spots, food, and entertainment in the Chungju area to contribute to regional economic revitalization. From the 15th to the 18th of next month, the 'Chungju DIVE Festival' will be held at the Chungju Tangeum Lake International Stadium and Jungangtap Park.

Moon Seonghwan, CEO of SH Sports Agency, said, "We are always planning sports culture tourism festivals beyond just soccer. We will present projects that contribute to regional economic revitalization by planning community-based sports tourism products in Chungju, which has a favorable geographical environment. I would like to thank all the national soccer club teams, coaches, and parents who participated in this soccer festival."

Jo Jaegwang, president of the Chungju Soccer Association, stated, "We will devote ourselves to hosting various soccer events and nationwide tournaments in Chungju through this soccer festival. The Chungju Soccer Association will also do its best to develop and build the infrastructure for youth soccer in Korea."

Meanwhile, this tournament is hosted and organized by SH Sports Agency and supported by Chungju City, Chungju Soccer Association, Chungju Volunteer Center, Gangwon FC, Footballist, Pocheon Ginseng Agricultural Cooperative, HIGHSOL, Haha Mask, Gopchang Sanghoe, AIRDOME_SH, Minds Ground, KBS Sports Arts Science Institute, Sun Medical Center, Arco Baleno Wonju Branch, Ilhwa, One Mount, and Today's Resort.

*Results of the lower grades matches on the 27th

Kindergarten Division

Champion = FC Kim Youngwoo (Busan Metropolitan City)

Runner-up = Shalom Korea Soccer School (Daegu Metropolitan City)

3rd Place = Hive Football Academy (Jeungpyeong-gun, Chungbuk), Cheonan Lions (Cheonan, Chungnam)

1st Grade Division

Champion = ProVity (Cheongju, Chungbuk)

Runner-up = DOOFC (Cheongju, Chungbuk)

3rd Place = Smart Asan (Asan, Chungnam), Gumi LMFC (Gumi, Gyeongbuk)

2nd Grade Division

Champion = DOOFC (Cheongju, Chungbuk)

Runner-up = Aju FC (Chungju, Chungbuk)