Parnu, Estonia - The tenth International Youth Football Tournament took place in Estonia on June 28 – July 1. During the first nine years, the tournament became one of the most important youth tournaments in the Baltic States. The tournament promotes multilateral development of football and the theme “Play Football for Peace.” Each summer, a great number of sports teams from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Ukraine, and Belarus come to Pärnu, a popular summer resort on the west coast of Estonia.
{besps}/images/ftp_uploads/2012/estonia/4659{/besps}The Russian delegation at the jubilee tournament was represented by four teams from Brateyevo, a district of Moscow where, thanks to their participation in such an important international tournament and the efforts of their main coach, Elfrado Valeyev, the number of boys playing football and leading a healthy life style is constantly growing. This year the tournament in Estonia drew the special attention and support on the part of sponsors and the local administration.
At the opening ceremony on June 28, the vice-mayor of Pärnu, Mrs. Yane Metz, welcomed the participants and emphasized the educational and unifying significance of football. The director of the tournament, Ambassador for Peace Tarmo Marasmo, called for fair play and challenged players to follow the example set by participants in the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine, where professional athletes maintain the spirit of noble rivalry in all circumstances.
The gala parade and opening ceremony became the main event in the city and drew the attention of a great number of local residents and guests. Heated football battles took place every day in all football fields; boys and girls tried not only to discover who was strongest but also to create ties of friendship and mutual respect spurred by the general desire to participate in such tournaments under the noble slogan “Play Football for Peace.”