The flags of the 27 countries that were going to participate in the Donosti Cup flies over San Sebastian
The organization wants to honor the 27 countries that had to cancel their participation in the Donosti Cup due to the Covid19
The 29th edition of the Donosti Cup should be held from this Monday until next Saturday. But due to the covid-19, and after 28 uninterrupted years, this summer the streets of San Sebastian and the fields of half of Gipuzkoa are not going to be invaded by thousands of young football players from all over the world. However, the Donosti Cup wanted the spirirt of these countries to be present in the city in the first week of July; "Their week".
Therefore, since yesterday, the flags of the 27 countries that before the cancellation of the tournament due to the Covid-19 outbreak had confirmed their participation in the 2020 Donosti Cup, wave on the terrace of the City Hall.
There, the flags of Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Greece, England, Sweden, Norway, Canada, United States, Mexico, Panama, Honduras, El Salvador, Brazil, Chile, Russia, Singapore, Japan, Palestine, Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Africa, Australia, Tunisia and Leshoto wave. The ikurriña and the San Sebastian flag have also been placed on top, as hosts for the other visitors.
Yesterday, this multi-colored space was officially inaugurated in a simple act that was leaded by the city's Mayor, Eneko Goia. The Member of the Regional Parlament for Economic Development and Tourism, Imanol Lasa; the director of sports for the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa Goizane Alvarez, and the founder and director of the Donosti Cup, Iñigo Olaizola also attended the event.
All of them wanted to send a message of optimism about the future and invited all these countries to visit us next summer to participate in the 2021 Donosti Cup that will take place from July 4 to July 10. This week, the Donosti Cup will be greatly missed but at least his spirit will be among us.
The director of the tournament, Iñigo Olaizola, took the opportunity to recognize that “the cancelation of the 2020 Donosti Cup was a very difficult decision and a very hard blow for the organization, especially after 28 years of uninterrupted celebration of the tournament. But when we took the decision at the end of April, it was clear that this summer the necessary circumstances were not going to exist to have so many different countries, many of which are still suffering the Covid-19.
In addition, everything suggested that the participation record was going to be broken again and we had prepared different novelties, including a new category for inclusive football or the Donosti Cup Txiki for the youngest members of the family ”. This Sunday, more than 600 teams had to arrive in our city and yesterday, the opening ceremony should have been held at the Anoeta Stadium. The emotions have to be strange. “Since last Sunday, we have felt an important hole and we have missed the participants.
We have spent many years waiting for the arrival of all the teams and living very intensely every minute, we miss seeing all the teams in Anoeta, listening to their hymns in the dining room or stopping to greet so many coaches who are like our family after so many years . But at least, the amount of messages we are receiving these days is exciting. ”
The organization is publishing a video in the social networks every day of the week reproducing an imaginary Donosti Cup, and they are breaking records on downloads. "If in 2021 all the teams that are saying they will be coming, really come, we do not know if all them will enter," says Olaizola with an optimistic mood. I wish it happens.
