Songpa-gu to Hold First 'District Mayor's Cup Soccer Tournament' for Middle School Students

376 students from 19 local middle schools to compete October 17-18

Songpa-gu, Seoul (Mayor Seo Kang-seok), will hold the first Songpa District Mayor's Cup Middle School Soccer Tournament on October 17 and 18. It is the first district mayor's cup soccer tournament in Seoul's autonomous districts for ordinary middle school students who are not professional athletes.

A commemorative photo from the 37th Songpa District Mayor's Cup Soccer Tournament for adults, held on the 6th. Photo provided by Songpa-gu.

The district created the tournament to give students a chance to take a break from their studies, run freely, build their physical fitness, and develop teamwork and a spirit of challenge. Nineteen of the district's 25 middle schools have registered, and 376 student players will compete.

The tournament is hosted by the Songpa-gu Sports Council and organized by the Songpa-gu Football Association. Preliminary matches will be held on the first day, October 17, at Eoullim Soccer Field and Tancheon Retention Basin Soccer Field. The finals will take place on October 18 at Eoullim Soccer Field. Matches will be played in a tournament format, with two 25-minute halves. If a match is tied, the winner will be decided by a penalty shootout without extra time.

Awards will include team prizes for four teams, including the champion, runner-up, and third-place finishers, as well as individual prizes in six categories, including Most Valuable Player and Top Scorer. The district plans to station medical personnel, ambulances, and safety staff at the venues. This year, it is expanding opportunities to participate in recreational sports by holding district mayor's cup competitions in 23 sports, including soccer, badminton, and table tennis.

Mayor Seo Kang-seok said, “I hope this tournament will be an opportunity for participants to respect one another and build friendships, regardless of who wins or loses. We will continue to support young people so they can grow up healthy.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.