IDA Participate In Super Cup Opening Ceremony
[Updated with video] The International Development Academy Bermuda team took part in the Super Cup NI tournament opening ceremony festivities in Coleraine, Northern Ireland yesterday [July 23] on the eve of beginning the group stage play.
A spokesperson said, “Super Cup NI [formerly NI Milk Cup est.1983] is one of the world’s most renowned youth football tournaments. This elite competition provides opportunities for boys and girls from across the world to participate in a week long football extravaganza. The competition takes place in one of Northern Ireland’s tourist hotspots and the competition itself is one of the biggest sporting events in Northern Ireland.
“Excitement and anticipation for the participating teams was peaked as they paraded through the Coleraine city centre, cheered on by thousands of well wishers who have come to get a glimpse of the stars of the future. Special reception was given to the fan favourites Manchester United, Liverpool, West Ham United, Newcastle United, Charlton Athletic, Valencia, and Hertha Berlin who are some of the bigger clubs participating through the age divisions. Bermuda too was well received by the crowd, and a few fans with Bermuda connections turned out to support the IDA-Bermuda contingent wearing Bermuda national team jerseys and waiving Bermuda flags.
“The parade route lead the teams to the Coleraine Showgrounds, where each team was presented to fans who filled the stands to wish the players well. Bermuda were positioned near to the rear of the procession, being followed by the Liverpool U19s who are playing in the elite division. The IDA-Bermuda players enjoyed getting the opportunity to have their photos taken with the well known English Premier League Academy’s players, some who will be stars and names to keep an eye on for the future.
IDA Bermuda players with Manchester United U19s
“IDA Bermuda will kick off the group stage in Minor division action tomorrow [Monday July 24, 2023] at The Heights field in Coleraine, against Belvedere FC from Dublin, Ireland. The boys Minor division is a 16 team open tournament, eligible teams may be either club teams or teams representing more than one club. Northern Ireland representation must be club teams from a recognised league. The division has four groups consisting of four teams. Each team will play 3 group games through Monday July 24 to Wednesday July 26, 2023. Teams are awarded 3 points for a win, and 1 point for a draw. Based on group stage performance, teams will qualify for the semi-finals of the following:
- SuperCupNI: The winner in each group.
- SCNI Globe: Second place in each group.
- SCNI Vase: Third place in each group.
- SCNI Bowl: Fourth place in each group.
“IDA Bermuda is lead by head coach Richard Todd, and additional staff members include assistant coaches Thaaqib Talbot & Matt Quinn, and team managers Sekai Waldron & Tiffanie Todd. The players are identified by the scouting network of IDA coaches in Bermuda, and accept invitations to join the rosters for various events.
“The aim and goal of the IDA-Bermuda program is to provide exposure for Bermuda players and coaches to experience football in jurisdictions outside of Bermuda, helping to increase awareness of playing styles and providing benchmarks to measure the performance levels of players and target areas for improvement to help raise their standard of playing coaching on return.
The IDA family of teams Super Cup NI 2023
“The family members traveling with the group joined in the festivities of the opening ceremony parade, and cheered on the team proudly from the stands as the team was presented inside the stadium.
“International Development Academy [IDA] is the parent organisation for the IDA-Bermuda affiliate. The International Development Academy provides football enriching experiences for aspiring youth football players through all-inclusive residential academy experiences, and training & competition tours for teams or individual players. The program has seen Bermuda players enrolled at the various residential programs, and has extended outreach through a network of affiliate programs in Europe, North & Central America, and of course Bermuda.
“The IDA family of teams participating in the 2023 Super Cup NI event include:
- Surf Select 2010 Girls
- Surf Select 2007 Girls
- Surf Select 2010 Boys
- Surf Select 2007 Boys
- FC America 2009 Girls
- FC America 2009 Boys
“Family, friends and supporters can follow the action and monitor results for the IDA-Bermuda team via the tournament website: https://supercupni.com/.”
