The final stage of children’s football competitions “1,000 Teams Tournament” started today, April 1, in the Karazinskyi sports complex (Kharkiv). The best school teams of Kharkiv oblast (ten teams of boys and seven teams of girls), which were selected according to the results of the preliminary stages, will determine the strongest of them during three days. The event is carried out under the patronage of the International Charitable Foundation “Oleksandr Feldman Foundation.”
“All of you made a great job! It is good that you go in for sports, take part in the competitions, come to this tournament and will fight for victory,” the chairman of the board of the AVEC Concern and Co. PJSC Andrii Kolos. “This tournament is an unprecedented phenomenon on the territory of Ukraine, it is unique.”
He congratulated the participants on behalf of the founder of the tournament, Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Feldman. Young footballers were also greeted on behalf of the head of the Kharkiv State Regional Administration Ihor Rainin by the deputy director of the Department for youth and sports under the Administration Serhii Khrystoiev.
“By the similar events, we make children to go in for sports, to the healthy lifestyle. That is why the tournament must exist and it will continue to be held,” Andrii Kolos emphasized.
According to the chief referee of the competitions, the futsal national referee Yurii Volozhenko, the 1,000 Teams Tournament is a children’s competition with splendid organization, which are unique for Ukraine. “Even many countries of Europe cannot boast such a tournament,” he added.
This year, over 80,000 young footballers born in 2003-2005 took part in the competitions. In addition to the cups, medals and diplomas, the winners of the Tournament will have excursion trips. A team, which will get the third place in the competition will have a trip to Lviv, the second place – Warsaw, and the champions will go to the football’s homeland – London.
It should be noted that 1,000 Teams Tournament was launched in 2001. It was the first in Ukraine, large-scale project directed at the revival of sport for children and young people. Moreover, the competition started the long-term charitable program of the ICF “Oleksandr Feldman Foundation” titled “Take children away from the streets.”
1,000 Teams Tournament was always very popular: during 7 years, over a million schoolchildren aged 10-12 took part in the competition. The Football Federation of Ukraine included this Tournament into its official calendar, and the UEFA recognized it as the largest children’s football competition in Europe providing the 5 star status to Ukraine within UEFA Grassroots Charter.
