Mediterranean Cup gets underway

The 15th edition of the Mediterranean Cup – Malta’s biggest youth international football tournament – kicked off on Saturday day at the San Gwann FC Training Centre.

This event has been renowned for its massive local and foreign participation, something which made it firmly established as the most important and expected football activity in the local annual youth football calendar. This annual event has again attracted the maximum 48 teams required to complete the six age categories in the competition.

The event is organised by the San Gwann FCYN in collaboration with the San Gwann Local Council and recognised by the Kunsill Malti ghall-iSport, the Malta Football Association, the Youth Football Association and the Malta Football Referees Association.

This year’s Easter Tournament, as it is most known by locals, will have the participation of no fewer than 800 youth players hailing from 20 local nurseries and one team coming from the Czech Republic. The local nurseries taking part are the hosts San Gwann, Hibernians, Sliema Wanderers, Floriana, Pieta’ Hotspurs, Luxol St.Andrew’ s, Hamrun Spartans, Birkirkara, Birzebbuga Windmills, Kirkop United, Mosta, Pembroke Athleta, Melita Amateurs, St.Patrick, Qormi, Valletta, Attard, Rabat Depiro, Tarxien Rainbows and Zebbug Rangers. Morovska Brno FC from the Czech Republic will compete in the Under 13 category.

The tournament is open for boys between the age of 8 years and 13 years. As in previous years the organisers expect ten continuous days of fun and exciting football.

The tournament has always been regarded as the showcase for local youth talents. Aleksander Kolarov is one of the notable former participants to make a name for himself, he played in the 1998 edition with Serbian side Cukaricki and today is a regular for Italian giants, AS Lazio.