The 2017 NSR Kanga Cup got underway on Sunday in a fantastic celebration of colour and excitement at the opening ceremony.
On a splendid afternoon at the AIS Athletics track, the teams marched around in front of a packed grandstand lead by Adelaide City F.C. at the front. ABC Radio presented Tim Gavel introduced the teams, including the large international contingent that are here for 2017.
Acting Chief Minister Yvette Berry spoke to the crowd about how important the Kanga Cup is to the City of Canberra, and thanked all for their attendance before brilliant renditions of the Thai, Korean, New Zealand and Australian anthems.
The Project Beats Dance Crew and the Jazzy Jumpers skipping continued to entertain the crowd as the fans eagerly awaited the first match of the tournament!
The Belwest Wolves and Singok FC of South Korea came out in the chilly conditions and put on a brilliant show for the crowd who stuck around. Singok raced out of the blocks and into an early lead, and had a five-goal buffer at the half.
But the local and composite side dug their heels in for the second half, and created some chances of their own while defending stoutly. The South Korean side managed only one goal in the second half as the match finished 6-0, but the smiles on faces showed all present that there was a lot more that mattered than the result.
With the 2017 NSR Kanga Cup now officially underway, we wish the best of luck to all teams this week and look forward to seeing you around the grounds!