The week long Gothia Cup 2018 came to a fitting finale on Saturday, 21 July 2018 with Japanese girls lifting the cup and Swedish boys’ teams, local Gothenburg teams, Västra Frölunda and Örgytes IS competed for the top spot in the derby.
Malin Jonson, Head of Communication & Public Relations, Gothia Cup told www.gothenburg-400.com that this competition brings different dimension to Gothenburg, and adds value to the city. “This is the only week where we can meet people from all over the world in Gothenburg. I love all the influences … cultures, listening to people, seeing them (participants) enjoying themselves.”
The annual Gothia Cup was started in 1975 and continues by growing each year where the football players gather year after year.
Sofia Jakobsson, sponsor coordinator of Gothia Cup, emphasized the importance of love in the game. She said, “The celebration of the game and the importance of getting all the young people in the world together to have fun and spread love.”
This year’s Gothia Cup saw the participation from two new countries: Iran and Jamaica, and Altogether 78 countries participated. There were 1731 teams from 78 countries and they had played at 101 football stadiums in and around Gothenburg. Altogether the cup attracts more than 35,000 direct participants including the parents of the boys and girls. During the whole week of the Gothia Cup, 16-21 July 2018, it was estimated that more than 400,000 people had visited Gothenburg.
Sports and tourism are also the major attractions of Gothenburg.
Gothia Cup is the World Youth Cup. It is the world’s largest and most international youth football tournament. Boys and girls in the age group of 11-18 participate through their respective football clubs and countries. The different teams from around the world make the tournament unique. Importantly, the tournament is a meeting place for the world’s youth irrespective of ‘religion, skin color or nationality’ but with football as the common denominator.
The main sponsor of the annual Gothia Cup is SKF. SKF is one of the largest employers in Gothenburg and founded in Gothenburg in 1907. The company manufactures and supplies bearings, seals, lubrication and lubrication systems, maintenance and mechatronics products, power transmission products, condition monitoring systems and related services all over the world.
