NEW DELHI: Budding footballers from Japan created the buzz around in the Barca Academy Cup – Asia Pacific held in Gurugram near New Delhi as they won three of the eight crucial slots in various categories of the event.
Right in the presence of the big-wigs and favorites of the likes of Barcelona teams from Spain, the teams from Japan clinched both the top berths – winners and runners up in Under 13 category, while they lost to Barcelona only to be become runners up in Under 9 vertical.
Under 15 – Delhi Grana beat Australia (7 – 1)
Under 13 – Katsushika beat Nara Blau (7 – 1)
Under 11 – Istanbul beat Barcelona (1 – 0)
Under 9 – Barcelona beat Nara (6 – 2)
Tournament’s favorite Barcelona won the Under 9 category match to beat Nara, Japan (6 – 2) but surprisingly lost to Istanbul (0 – 1). Japan’s Katsushika team beat its own country’s Nara Blau (7 – 1) to emerge winners in the Under 13 category.
Played on January 30-February 2 at the Barca Academy, Gurugram situated at The Heritage Xperiential Learning School India, the tournament hosted 700 footballers from 48 teams hailing from Australia, Turkey, Singapore, Japan, and Spain. Teams from China did not participate this year.
In the Under 15 category, India’s Delhi Grana team beat Australia (7 – 1) to emerge the winners.
A whopping 815 goals were scored by the young footballers during the tournament.
Jesus Almansa, Country Manager, Japan, and local Project Director Shinagawa Oimachi, who accompanies the Japanese contingent to India for the Barca Academy Cup – Asia Pacific said that Japanese young footballers are not only technically sound but also pick up training tactically well, and learn very fast during training. In the last few years, they have been picking up the European style of football, he added.
As many as 140 players from four Japanese cities Nara, Fukuoka Katsushika and Osaka and about 50 parents participated in the tournament.
“In a new dynamics of training is happening in Japan these days new coaches are coming to Japan to teach Japanese European style of football. Year by year, the Japanese players’ style is getting closer to European style,” said Jesus Almansa.
Last year, Japan had made an almost clean sweep of the tournament as its teams had won three of the four events – Under 9, 11 and 13 categories.
The 48 teams that represented India, Australia, Turkey, Singapore, Japan, and Spain played in categories U-9, U-11, U-13 and U-15. The tournament was played in the format of 7 a side team with 30 minutes match for Under 9, 40 minutes match for Under 11 & 13 and 50-minutes match for Under 15.
Barca Academy India had hosted the tournament in 2019 as well.
Anupama Jain, Director Conscient Football, said, “We are extremely proud to be chosen the host for the Barca Academy Cup – Asia Pacific for the 2nd year in a row. It indeed is a moment to cherish for every football fan and aficionado across the country. This tournament is not just about winning. It is a cultural milieu and one makes friends for life.”
Amongst international presence in India, Barça Academy India has the largest offering of in the country and has trained more than 30,000 players across various formats. In the football schools across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru, there are over 2,500 young footballers who are being trained.
Before the start of the Barca Academy Cup – Asia Pacific, the young footballers, and delegates accompanying them were taken to various historical places in India.
“We took the entire contingent of over 700 players and delegates to see Taj Mahal in Agra as well as some historical monuments like Qutub Minar and Lotus Temple in New Delhi to make them aware of India’s rich cultural heritage,” said Ankur Khanna, Tristar Holidays.
