The Cup, gathers each year over 30 000 children, aged between 12-19 years, in Oslo, Norway’s capital city. This year 1 380 teams from 52 countries and 30 000 players are competing in the tournament. The children spend a week in Oslo, playing football, getting to know other teams from other countries and also learning about Norway. During the Norway Cup some 4000 matches are played on pitches all around Oslo.
During this week, the children can also play mini golf, participate in swimming races and even show off their singing talent at sing star competitions. Before, during and after matches, a large number of volunteers from Bekkelaget Sports Club in Oslo help make the tournament one of the largest and most successful children’s football tournament in the world. Norway Cup could not happen were it not for the dedication and hard work throughout the whole year of a great number of unpaid volunteers, working on their free time to prepare for this one hectic week in August. The enthusiasm of 1200 volunteers from Bekkelaget Sports Club, together with 400 other volunteers, combine with the energy of the participating football clubs to make Norway Cup an unforgettable annual event.
FK Velez and FK Lokomotiva have this year received funding from the Norwegian Embassy to cover travel expenses for the trip to Oslo, while the Embassy provided visas free of charge. The two teams also received substantial financial support from Co-Op Norway, one of the largest retailers in Norway, with more than one thousand grocery stores, and hypermarkets throughout the country. Every fourth bag of groceries sold in Norway comes from one of Coop's shops. Co-Op is also the main sponsor of the entire Norway Cup tournament.
Ambassador Jan Braathu commented: “It is important that young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina have the opportunity to travel to other countries in Europe, and in so doing learn more about European cooperation.” The Ambassador added “We should not forget that we all share this Continent of Europe. What makes us European is the sum of all of Europe’s constituent parts. And, in the end, the sum is always greater than the parts.” “I wish the teams from FK Velez and FK Lokomotiva the best of luck in the tournament. Whatever their results, I am sure that they will be good ambassadors for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that they will return with many impressions and a great experience.”