Norway Cup opened on Saturday with a North Korean team participating
A girls team from the football academy in Pyongyang, North Korea, will play in this year’s Norway Cup, which started at Ekebergsletta in Oslo yesterday.
The world’s biggest football tournament began on Saturday with an opening parade at Ekebergsletta. Joining the parade was the girls team from North Korea. The girls team, made up of 14 year olds, arrived at Gardermoen on Friday, according to NRK news.
On Sunday morning, they’ll play their first match against a girls team from Oslo, Lille Tøyen.
‘I am very grateful that we can be here. It means very much to the young people. I hope this can help strengthen cooperation with Norway,’ said the North Korean team to NRK on Friday.
The North Korean team was invited to the football tournament on behalf of Lasse Evensen, who was in North Korea to make a documentary about Jørn Andersen, who is coach for the North Korean men’s team.
30,000 kids attending
The Norway Cup kicked off with about 30,000 football players congregated in Oslo on Saturday. There are increased security measures this year. Among other things, measures were implemented to prevent vehicles from entering the event area.
Armed police will also be present during the football tournament, which has only happened once before, in 2014.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
