Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, SEISA Group and FGC have been continuing support and exchange activities, mainly in Fukushima Prefecture. As part of this, the annual soccer exchange event "SEISA Okudera Cup" was held again this year.
The tournament took place on Saturday, January 11, 2025, at Koyo Soccer Stadium in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, with 93 U-10 (under 10 years old) children from eight teams from Soma City and Minamisoma City participating. Heavy snow had been forecast for the Tohoku region, but the day was blessed with calm, sunny skies, perfect for playing soccer.
The tournament was divided into Block A and Block B, with four teams from each block competing in a round-robin league format. Afterwards, a deciding match was held between the teams with the same ranking from each block. In the final, Soma SC Jr. faced off against FC Haraichi, with FC Haraichi taking the victory with a score of 2-0! Additionally, the tournament MVP and the three Green Award winners were awarded certificates and commemorative gifts.
As in previous years, the tournament was scheduled with many matches played in one day, but thanks to the cooperation of the coaches and parents of each team, it ran smoothly. We were able to complete the event safely without any major injuries.
This year marks the 14th year of the SEISA Okudera Cup. We received a lot of feedback from the children and those involved, saying, "We're looking forward to next year." We hope to continue these kinds of exchange activities together with the local community.