SCO Football Cup opened in Beijing

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Football Cup opened on October 10 on the football field on the territory of the Russian Embassy in China.

Teams from Russia, Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, India, China, as well as the joint SCO team are taking part in the championship.

The semifinals and finals of the SCO Cup will take place on Sunday.

BEIJING, Oct 10 - RIA Novosti. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Football Cup opened on Saturday in the Chinese capital, the Russian team will meet with players from China, India and the SCO team, a RIA Novosti correspondent reports.

The competition, which takes place on October 10-11 on the football field on the territory of the Russian Embassy in China, was opened by a match between the teams of Iran and Uzbekistan. The game ended in a draw, despite the Iranian team's goalkeeper receiving a red card.

Teams from Russia, Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, India, China, as well as the joint SCO team are taking part in the championship. The Russian team will play against the teams of India, China and the SCO team on Saturday. Matches are played in two halves of ten minutes each without a break, with sides changing.

The semifinals and finals of the SCO Cup, held in honor of the organization’s 25th anniversary, will take place on Sunday.

Envoy Counselor of the Russian Embassy in China Lenar Salimullin, speaking at the opening ceremony of the championship, said that the SCO Cup indicates that the organization’s agenda is not limited to politics, economics and security.

“An equally important component of our work is humanitarian cooperation, including in the field of sports,” he said.