The international youth football tournament, Garuda International Cup, is now in its third edition. Garuda International Cup 2023 will take place at ASIOP Training Ground (ATG), Sentul, from July 6 to July 9, 2023.
This time, the third edition of the Garuda International Cup (GIC) carries the theme “The Season Is Coming.” It will feature 32 teams in the U-12 and U-17 age groups from 7 countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Thailand, and Japan.
In each age group, there will be 16 teams divided into 4 groups, with 4 teams in each group.
“We can ensure that this year will be more exciting because it will feature seven countries, compared to three countries in the first edition and five countries in the second edition. So, in terms of competition quantity, it has increased,” said Wahyu Budiarto, the Chairman of the GIC 3 Committee and Project Director, during a press conference at ATG Sentul, Bogor, on Saturday (1/7).
“Furthermore, in terms of quality, it is also improving because this time, it is not only teams from Sulawesi and Sumatra participating. Instead, domestic participants have expanded even further, with teams from Jakarta, Papua, Batam, and Kalimantan. So, we have representation from almost every corner of Indonesia,” he added.
In the U-12 age group of GIC 3, 9 teams from abroad will participate, along with 7 teams from Indonesia. The nine international teams are Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) from Malaysia, Woodlands Warriors from Singapore, Brazilian FA from Brunei Darussalam, Best FC from Malaysia, AT Putrajaya from Malaysia, Apuesto Bueno from the Philippines, NFDP from Malaysia, Hijau Kuning from Malaysia, and Shonan Bellmare from Japan.
Meanwhile, the 7 Indonesian teams are ASIOP Merah, ASIOP Biru, DY FC Batam, Farmel FC, CS Private, Next Bali Generations, and Nahusam FA.
In the U-17 age group, 9 international teams and 7 Indonesian teams will participate. The nine international teams include Melaka Sport School from Malaysia, FC Katipunan from the Philippines, Central Visayas from the Philippines, Woodlands Warriors from Singapore, Bangkok FC Academy from Thailand, Fajar Selatan from Malaysia, Apuesto Bueno FC A and Apuesto Bueno FC B from the Philippines, and Bintang Gombak from Malaysia.
The 7 Indonesian teams in this category are Heijnes FS Papua, Safin Pati, ASIOP Merah, ASIOP Biru, Fatto Zapello, Ricky Nelson Academy, and Diklat Merden.
“We have invited Japan and Thailand as new participant countries in GIC 3 to enhance the tournament’s competitiveness. We know that Japan and Thailand have football quality above that of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia. This can be a learning experience for young Indonesian players,” Wahyu said.
Garuda International Cup 3 (GIC 3) is not just a football tournament; it also features other sports and entertainment activities. There are play areas, booths offering local and international cuisine, dance competitions from West Java and DKI Jakarta, band and DJ performances, percussion entertainment, and more.
Source: bolaskor.com