TIME TO SHINE
70 teams play in WCP Cup
Jahiemi Yamaguchi’s father loved soccer. Mitsuji Yamaguchi would attend the World Class Players (WCP) Cup every year to cheer on his homeland, Japan, as the team took on the rest of the world.
“My father was a big soccer fan and he passed away in 2015. He loved this tournament dearly. I’m happy that (the players) are still competing (after all these years) and playing for our country,” Jahiemi said.
Saturday was the final day of the 17-day WCP Cup. The tournament started in 2005 with nine teams. This year there were 70.
The competition is modelled after the FIFA World Cup, with teams of all ages representing 33 different nations. The players on the teams aren’t all from their teams’ nation but each team has to have a certain number of heritage players on it.
Jahiemi’s daughter, Emily Yamaguchi Kuan, plays for Team Japan in the under-17 girls division. Jahiemi gets emotional each time she sees her daughter on the field wearing a jersey with the Japanese flag on it.
“I’m just so happy, like I never thought I can cheer for my team in Canada ... we’ve been in Canada so long. This is a great opportunity to just realize our culture is so deep,” Jahiemi said.
Out on the soccer field it’s competitive, but in the stands it is all about multiculturalism and bringing the nations together.
“What keeps (the tournament) going is to see the different cultures intermingling in the stands. Banging their drums and singing their songs and showing support for their nations,” said Kevin Holness, organizer and president of the WCP Cup.
For most fans the tournament isn’t about the score. According to Holness, it is common for fans to come watch the tournament on days when their own team isn’t playing.
The WCP Cup partners with the Regina Multicultural Council to add to the tournament’s multicultural aspect.
“The global recognition of soccer and when you involve sport because sports are so well-known and soccer globally people look at as a religion in some countries. I think that is what unites the people and their passion for supporting their country,” Holness said.
Each year the tournament attracts new players and teams. This year’s tournament saw new teams representing Syria and Cameroon.
“We’ve had some countries come in and there are players that have never been in this facility and secondly there are players that have never heard of this event that love soccer ... from what they say it is very overwhelming and exciting at the same time,” Holness said.
Drew Turgeon has played in four WCP Cups, this year his team represented Scotland in the boys Under-17 division.
“(The WCP Cup has) a lot more people, lot more fans, different teams,” he said.
Turgeon regularly plays with most of the players he meets on the field, but the tournament still stands out from the rest due to the large scale of it.