As part of the Japan Football Association’s (JFA) commitment to support “JENESYS 2017,” a programme promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, JENESYS 2017 Japan-ASEAN U-16 Youth Football Exchange Tournament has kicked off on Thursday 8 March at KIRISHIMA Yamazakura Miyazaki Prefectural Comprehensive Sports Park. Four teams featured in the opening matches, as U-15 Japan National Team faced U-16 Timor-Leste National Team, while U-16 Indonesia National Team squared off against U-16 Philippines National Team. The tournament will serve as an exchange platform for the youth of Japan and the ASEAN countries.

The first day of the event saw two more matches following the tournament opener. U-16 Thailand National Team played U-16 Singapore National Team, and U-16 Vietnam National Team faced U-16 Laos National team. The matches were played under heavy rain and wind, but the players showed great enthusiasm even under such condition.

Players and board members from 9 countries of ASEAN along with those from Timor-Leste has made their ways to Japan. On their off days, each teams will participate in a touring programme to observe historical sceneries in Miyazaki City, including the Aoshima shrine.

Coaches' and Players' Comments

DORLAS, BONGBONG ROXY VESTIDAS, Coach (U-16 Philippines National Team)
It was a little unfortunate that we couldn’t get a good warm-up session before the match due to the rain, but the players were able to play in good condition. The tournament was conducted in such a professional fashion, from serving breakfast to our way back to the hotel, and we really appreciate it.

DOAN ANH TUAN, Team Manager (U-16 Vietnam National Team)
Although we were able to grab three points with the 2-1 victory, our overall performance was not necessarily a good one. The players lacked both concentration and confidence in their plays. We like to fix that before our next match against the Miyazaki Prefecture Selection Team.

VALERIO REIS LABI-USA ALMEIDA DA COSTA (U-16 Timor-Leste National Team)
The Japanese National Team were strong both physically and tactically. We would like to learn from them so that Timor-Leste can one day play neck-to-neck against Japan.

AMIRUDDIN BAGAS KAFFA ARRIZQI (U-16 Indonesia National Team)
The opening match featured strong wind and rain. It made the ball move erratically and the turf slippery, so it was difficult to adjust to the condition. We will do our best to show a better performance in our next match.

About the “JENESYS2017” Programme

The JENESYS Programme (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths) is a project advanced by the Japanese government from the standpoint of providing a sound foundation for strong solidarity within Asian and Oceanian countries through large-scale youth exchange. Aimed to promote mutual understanding and friendly relations, Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) is in charge of conducting the programme by accepting, dispatching, and exchanging leaders of the next generation.

For more information, please visitthe official websiteof the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.