Latest News

Back to Latest News back

 

Korea begins hosting of FIFA Under 20 World Cup

Korea begins hosting of FIFA Under 20 World Cup
May 23, 2017

The FIFA Under 20 World Cup has commenced in South Korea, with games to be played in six local cities - Cheonan, Daejeon, Incheon, Jeonju, Suwon and Jeju.

Part of the Republic of Korea’s ongoing hosting of major international sporting events, including the 2011 IAAF Athletics World Championships in Daegu, the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju, the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyongchang and the 2019 FINA World Swimming Championships (also in Gwangju) the U20 World Cup is the fourth FIFA-sanctioned competition that South Korea will stage.

This follows the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup; the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which it co-hosted with Japan; and the 2007 FIFA Under 17 World Cup, making South Korea is the third country to host all four FIFA events, after Japan and Mexico.

Under the slogan ‘Trigger the Fever’, the 2017 tournament is also the 21st edition of the U20 World Cup and is the sixth time that the premier youth football tournament is taking place in an Asian country.

Starting last Saturday (20th May) and running until 11th June, the competition includes 24 participants who were divided into six groups of four teams at a draw on 15th March. The top two teams from each group, along with four best third-place finishers, will enter the knockout stage.

All of the tournament's 52 matches will be at existing stadiums in the host cities. Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, some 240 kilometres south of Seoul, will host the tournament opener, while Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, some 40 kilometres south of Seoul, will stage the final.

The organisers, led by Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu, are welcoming the participants with some 1,300 volunteers lined up to help operations. Some of them already got some experience when South Korea staged a test event in three cities in March.

The organisers have been working hard to promote the U20 World Cup as they hope South Koreans fill the seats for other national team matches. Since the biennial men's youth football championship was expanded to the 24-team format in 1997, the 2011 edition in Colombia had the highest average attendance with 25,191, while the 2013 U20 World Cup in Turkey had the lowest average attendance with 5,821.

For more information go to www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/

Korea's hosting of major events was explored in a feature in the September/October 2013 issue of Australasian Leisure Management.

Images: South Korea's U20 World Cup fixtures are bing played in front of capacity crowds (top).

23rd January 2017 - REIGNING AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HOLDERS EXCLUDED FROM 2017 TOURNAMENT

10th March 2016 - OFFICIALS ARRESTED AS PART OF CORRUPTION PROBE INTO KOREA SWIMMING FEDERATION

6th January 2016 - SOUTH KOREA LOOKS TO HOST 2023 AFC ASIAN CUP 

9th July 2015 - CHRISTCHURCH MARKS FIFA UNDER 20 WORLD CUP LEGACY 

1st June 2015 - FIFA UNDER 20 WORLD CUP KICKS OFF

30th September 2013 - SCANDAL HITS KOREAN CITY’S HOSTING OF 2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS 

12th September 2013 - KOREAN GOVERNMENT REVEALS PLANS TO ADD 40,000 SPORT INDUSTRY JOBS

15th October 2011 - KOREA’S EXPENSIVE SPORTING HABIT


Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.

 

supplier directory

The Complete Guide to Leisure Industry Products & Services.

See the directory see all

Clubware

Clubware’s online gym software is not your run of the mill management system. It has been carefully designed to incorporate all the elements that a fitness club would need. How did we do that?…

read more

Access / Billing / Fitness / Recreation

 
 

TICKETSERV

As of 2018, TicketServ operates as SeatGeek Asia Pacific Pty Limited, part of international ticketing platform SeatGeek. Click here to contact SeatGeek Asia Pacific via their entry in…

read more

Attractions / Entertainment / Events / Sport / Ticketing

 
 

Pricemark Pty Ltd

Pricemark supplies a wide range of custom branded membership & RFID access products for the Health & Leisure Industry. 

read more

Access

 
 

SWIMPLEX AQUATICS

Swimplex Aquatics are a world-class company dedicated to the commercial pool, waterslide industry. We are Australian market leaders servicing all states Australia wide. Swimplex provide a full…

read more

Aquatics / Attractions / Design / Play / Waterparks

 
 

AlphaFit

AUSTRALIAN MADE. FIT FOR PURPOSE. Based on the Gold Coast, AlphaFit is a leading manufacturer and supplier of Australian gym equipment specifically for the commercial, strength and conditioning,…

read more

Fitness / Recreation / Technology / Wellness

 
 

Jonas Leisure

Jonas Software operates over 110 independently managed software brands around the world, providing them with the strategic guidance and financial security required to be leaders in their respective…

read more

Aquatics / Billing / Fitness / Recreation / Sport

 
 

Ticketworx Pty Ltd

Ticketworx (formerly House of Tickets) is Australia and New Zealand’s foremost ticket specialist servicing some 2,700 clients and producing in excess of 30 million per tickets per annum.…

read more

Entertainment / Events / Technology / Ticketing / Venues

 
 

InterQuad (International Quadratics) 

InterQuad (International Quadratics)  With a combined legacy spanning over 150 years, International Quadratics (founded in 1976) and Pierce Pool Supplies (originally established in 1898 as A H…

read more

Aquatics / Safety / Technology / Waterparks

 
 
 
 

get listed with our suppliers directory

Get your business noticed in our targeted directory. Viewed by 10,000 industry professionals per week!

list your business