750 boys and girls, representing 76 teams, competed in the HiKicker Football Tournament at the Beijing International Polo Club on Sunday, April 29- Monday, April 30.
The event was the fourth of these annual competitions, bringing together teams from across the city. As well as the matches, the kids were entertained by zorb balls, inflatables, mini games, and market stalls. To find out more about the event, we talked to Jun Liao, partner at HiKicker FC in charge of business development.
The matches were hard-fought but sporting
“The HiKicker Cup is the signature tournament of HiKicker FC,” he told us. “Unlike a traditional five-a-side tournament, what HiKicker wants to achieve is not to find the best team who can win as champions, but to set up a platform for kids from China and the rest of the world to enjoy football, make friends, and have a good time in this big soccer party. That’s why we spent a lot of efforts to organize the bazaar, and the mini games.”
Football wasn’t the only fun on offer
Jun said it was important to them that the event was inclusive.
The event was inclusive, with girls taking part too
“We also invite girls’ soccer teams to play in the tournament. As part of our social responsibilities, we invited blind football players to provide us with a training session, and show their extraordinary skills.”
A moment of contemplation for a young goalkeeper
Your correspondent must declare an interest here: my boys play with Sports Beijing, an experience which has helped them make friends and develop their character as well as their skills. We were there as a family cheering on our younger son, through tight draws, crushing defeats, and morale-boosting victories.
2,000 friends and family members came along to share the players’ ups and downs
The winning teams were China ClubFootball in the under 12s age group, and Yangguang Sangao in the under 10s. (Under 6 and Under 8 teams played in non-competitive divisions.) Even though his team did not win though, our son had a great time, and everyone was smiling at the end of two days of sunshine, soccer, and fun.
Photos: (featured) Andrew Killeen, (all others) courtesy of HiKicker FC
