The Garuda International Cup 2024 football tournament officially began at the ASIOP Training Ground in Sentul, West Java, on Thursday morning, August 22, 2024.
A total of 48 teams from eight countries—Indonesia, China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Singapore—will compete in three age categories: U-10, U-12, and U-17.
The Garuda International Cup (GIC) 2024 is set to be an exciting event as it features elite academy teams from across Asia, including Guangzhou (China), Zhejiang (China), Shonan Bellmare (Japan), Tokyo Selection (Japan), ASIOP (Indonesia), and Johor Darul Ta’zim (Malaysia).
The opening ceremony of GIC 2024 was lively, with drone displays carrying flags and the GIC trophy, as well as dance performances and percussion.
The event was also attended by prominent national figure Hashim Djojohadikusumo, who serves on the GIC 2024 Board of Advisory.
GIC Project Director Wahyu Budiarto expressed hope that this tournament would become a source of pride for Indonesia, noting that the Garuda International Cup is the largest international youth football championship held in the country.
“The Garuda International Cup has been held four times, with various breakthroughs and quality improvements. The first GIC was held in Bandung in 2015 with participation from three ASEAN countries,” said Wahyu Budiarto.
“The number of participating countries increased to five in 2022, seven in 2023, and now eight in GIC 2024,” he explained.
“We hope that during this 79th Independence Day of Indonesia, GIC 2024 will continue to grow and become a source of pride for Indonesia on the global stage, especially as we highlight the pride of the Indonesian nation, the Garuda,” he added.
Meanwhile, GIC 2024 Board of Advisory member Hashim Djojohadikusumo expressed his happiness and pride in the hosting of this international youth football festival.
“Garuda International Cup as a youth football tournament provides a great opportunity for players to develop their skills, build character on and off the field, and share moments with peers from other countries,” said Hashim Djojohadikusumo.
Hashim also emphasized the importance of international football tournaments like GIC in increasing the experience of young Indonesian players.
He hopes that in the future, the players of GIC 2024 will become quality players who can pursue careers in professional football in Indonesia and even represent the Indonesian national team.
This season’s GIC is supported by several sponsors, including Transtama Logistics, Bank Mandiri, SOMPO Insurance, Tunas Muda Adhyaksa, Ethiopian Airlines, Belfoods, PT Rut Ester Berjaya Medan, Swiss-Belhotel Court Bogor, City Trans Utama, Specs, Bluebird, Aqua, Naos, EMC, Glico, and Sunpride.