ORGANISERS of the Super Cup NI say they have been left "with no option but to cancel" the tournament for a second consecutive year.
The continued impact of the Covid pandemic has led organisers to call off the annual youth football competition - formerly known as the Milk Cup - which attracts teams from across the world to the north coast every year.
The 2021 event, which had been due to kick off on July 25, was set to be the biggest in the competition's 39-year history with four male age groups and a new female section with teams from Europe, USA, the Far East, Africa, as well as England, Scotland and the Republic.
Tournament chairman Victor Leonard said: "The organising committee has been working tirelessly since last August to bounce back from the disappointment of the cancellation of the 2020 event and return this year with a bigger and better tournament.
"However, ongoing issues with regards to the impact of Covid-19 across the world and logistical obstacles outside of our control there was no other option but to cancel this year’s tournament.
"Over the last number of months, we have availed of support and guidance from the Public Health Agency and the Department for Communities before committee made this decision.
"Participating in the tournament is more than playing five football games over a week - it gives the young aspiring footballers the unique Super Cup NI experience where young players can live, train and play together for a week, being in the same accommodation, providing a taste of what a professional football career might look like.
"The tournament is an incredible experience for all of our young people and we felt that the restrictions, which needed to be put in place because of Covid, would adversely diminish the overall Super Cup NI experience."
Hospitality Ulster chief executive Colin Neill said it was a "significant loss" to the area's tourism sector, with the competition usually attracting thousands of visitors.
"The competition has been a key part of the Northern Irish sporting calendar for generations but it has also been part of the hospitality calendar for that same period of time," he said.
"The benefit the competition has brought to our bars, restaurants and hotels has been vitally important."
