The size of the Denso Cup, a regular college soccer match between Korea and Japan, will be expanded. The competition will be divided into three categories starting from March next year.
The 22nd Denso Cup Korea-Japan college soccer match will be held at Anyang Sports Complex at 11:30 a.m. on the 24th. Two days before the game, a press conference was held at the Soccer Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Prior to the press conference, Byun Seok-hwa, President of the Korea University Soccer Federation, said, “Thanks to Denso’s active support, the first and second year national team championship competition will be held in March next year, and the Women’s University Denso Cup will also start next year.” He added, “We will further contribute to the development of soccer in both countries.” “Denso has created a great program to provide opportunities and experience for a lot of growth and to many players, so it will be expanded and operated,” he said.
The first- and second-year championship and women’s college soccer match were held for the first time at the Denso Cup held in Japan last March. On the 24th, only the men’s college soccer teams of the two countries will play a match, which will be divided into three divisions starting next year.
Chairman Byeon Seok-hwa said, “It feels like a dream for female college athletes to be able to interact with Japan through Denso’s sponsorship.” He expressed his expectations, saying, “It will be good for the development of soccer in both countries.”
Kenichiro Ito, a member of Denso’s board of directors and management who received a plaque of appreciation from Chairman Seok-Hwa Byun, said, “We are truly grateful for the gift of such a wonderful plaque of appreciation.” He added, “The Denso Cup is a competition that Denso has consistently supported for 20 years for Korea-Japan university soccer. This competition is a venue for talent development. I want to contribute to Korean and Japanese society by nurturing human resources. In order to continue the Denso Cup together, the foundation for this is the continued support, interest, and cooperation of the Korea University Soccer Federation. “I want to show a great soccer game together on Sunday.”
The Denso Cup is a regional competition that Denso, a global auto parts company, has sponsored for over 30 years since 1992 with the purpose of improving Japan’s college soccer skills and nurturing talent for the national soccer team. Since 1997, it has expanded into a regular match where national players from Korea and Japan compete against each other, contributing to the development of college soccer in both countries and supporting exchanges between the two countries through sports.
As the two countries continue to interact, college soccer is developing and becoming more competitive. Chairman Byun Seok-hwa said, “There was no international exchange in college soccer. This is the most favorable situation for Korean and Japanese college soccer players to compete in good faith. It’s also good for international experience. For college students, it is an honor to be selected for the Denso Cup, and I think it has fulfilled some of their dreams as a soccer player. “From Korea’s perspective, I think the Denso Cup is the most precious competition,” he said. 스포츠토토
Kenichiro Ito, a member of Denso’s board of directors and management, also said, “I think the Denso Cup has a big role in Japan as well. In Japan, players selected from each region make up the university team. “The Denso Cup is attracting attention even in Japan itself, and the fact that the players who participated in the Korea-Japan match were selected for the Denso Cup is a significant contribution,” he said.