11 teams in Nations Cup national round

Niken Prathivi ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 07/04/2008 11:08 AM  |  Sports

Eleven soccer teams from across the country will compete against each other at Soemantri Brojonegoro Stadium in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Saturday and Sunday for a place in the final round of the Danone Nations Cup.

The tournament is a mini-World Cup for children aged 10 to 12 years. The final round will be held in Paris, France, in September.

"We selected the 11 teams from a total of 1,194 teams participating in the tournament nationwide," Danone Indonesia brand manager Andri Setiawan told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

"The winner of the national round will represent Indonesia in the final world round in Paris, and will compete against 39 other teams from different countries," he said.

He said the tournament has attracted a growing number of teams over the years.

"Last year, we selected eight teams from about 500 teams nationwide, and now we have 11. The kids seem very enthusiastic about the tournament," he said.

Raden Muhammad Dinar, 12, said he and his 12 teammates were very excited about their upcoming matches.

"We're very proud, because we managed to reach the national round. However, we still have to work hard to win and get the chance to go to Paris for the finals," the 8th grader said.

Dinar will play for the Bandung team, which is making its second appearance in the national round after its debut in 2003.

"In 2003, Bandung failed to win a place in the final," he said.

He added the toughest competition would come from the Surabaya team, because of its "taller players with big builds".

Fajri Saputra, captain of the Palembang team, said his team was making its first appearance in the tournament.

"We're very happy about it, and we really look forward to reaching the finals in Paris," he said.

The Danone Nations Cup, which began in 1998, is organized by world's largest food and beverage producer, Groupe Danone.

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