By Dariia Khudobiak

Sports and pretty sunsets—what’s a better way to spend your Friday evening? The Med High Championship was certainly a blast this year. Read all about the event right here!

On the sidelines…

Fierce competition and high expectations were definitely present for some during this year’s Med High Football Championship. Off and on the pitch the players were determined to win. During well deserved or sometimes even desperately needed breaks, most were conspiring new strategies for the upcoming matches, while others just tried to rest. But, the real challenge began when the referee whistle was blown. 

Ready, Set, Shoot

The tournament took place at the AEK academy training grounds in the heart of Larnaka: three miniature fields filled with back to back games. The competition was split into separate categories with Grade 6, Years 1, 2 and 3; and Years 4,5,6 and the Parent-Teacher team. 

“How do you think your match will go today?”, our reporter Zoe asked one of the Year 5 players. 

“We have three matches—two of them we are confident we are gonna nail it, but one we might not. […] But don’t worry we got it under control!” , he reassured his teammates and supporters. 

 It is true that football is a physically and mentally demanding sport, even though it is one of the most popular and most accessible activities. Here’s what the Year 4s recall from their matches.

“So, you have already played [a match], what do you think of the game?”

“At first I was a bit shaky, a bit nervous. But then I concentrated, and I understood the technique of my opponent. The only problem is by then [the score] was already 2:0. Finish. No comeback”, replied the goalkeeper.

“We came into this game [against the teachers] with no expectations. But next game we will beat [the Year 5s]”, another Year 4 player answered optimistically. 

Our foreign visitors from Latvia also joined in the fun as the Erasmus exchange student completed the Year 6 team.

Top of the Table

For the older category, the Parent-Teacher team proudly defended their champion title, despite a decent attempt at this year’s trophy from the Year 5s. 

Meanwhile, the junior category put on quite a show, as the winner was decided the following week by a fierce penalty shootout during one of the breaks. After a closely matched battle, the Year 1 team was finally crowned champion.