KIA Champ into the Arena 2018 tournament tops the scoreboard once again

  • Spectacular conclusion to the South African edition of KIA’s global amateur, 5-a-side soccer tournament
  • Johannesburg-based team to play in the KIA Champ into the Arena World Finals in Russia during the 2018 FIFA World Cup™

(JOHANNESBURG) 23 April 2018 – KIA Motors South Africa’s 2018 KIA Champ into the Arena 5-a-side amateur soccer tournament reached its conclusion this past weekend, with the top eight teams from three regional tournaments competing for the ultimate glory of representing South Africa in the World Finals of the KIA Champ into the Arena tournament during this year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The tournament saw a total of 160 teams put through their paces through the regional rounds hosted in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban during March and April 2018. During the finals this past Saturday, 21 April 2018, all eyes were however on the top 8 teams.

After three round robin games of 10 minutes one way, followed by an action-packed quarter finals playoff, the atmosphere at the Discovery Soccer Park located in George Lea Park, Sandton, notably intensified as the top four teams prepared for the semi-finals. In this round, Durban-based Chiltern Park FC lost 3-5 to Cape Town’s Untouchables FC, while the Johannesburg-based Royal Lakes beat La Masia 6-4. The final commenced as the sun set at 18:00, the teams giving their all to conquer two halves of 15 minutes for ultimate glory. In the end, it was Royal Lakes who beat Untouchables FC 4-3 and carrying off the trophy and title of 2018 KIA Champ into the Arena Champions.

“We are delighted to see the conclusion of another fantastic campaign: a closely contested and competitive national tournament with great skills on offer and plenty of smiles all-round. The South African teams have reached the finals in the past three years: hopefully this year the guys can bring it home,” says David Sieff, Marketing Director, KIA Motors South Africa. “I’d like to wish Royal Lakes the best of luck as they enjoy this opportunity to compete on the international stage.”

Media enquiries:

KIA Champs into the Arena:

Caroline Malan

caroline@theprmachine.co.za

General enquiries:

KIA Motors South Africa:

Christo Valentyn

christov@kia.co.za

About KIA Motors South Africa (www.kia.co.za)

KIA Motors South Africa was founded in December 1997, and is incorporated under Motus Corporation, a division of Imperial Holdings. As the official importer and distributor of KIA Motors in southern Africa, it has a network spanning more than 75 dealerships throughout South Africa, including Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe, and offers a full range of passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles.

About KIA Motors Corporation (www.kia.com)

KIA Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) – a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart – was founded in 1944 and is Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. About 3 million KIA vehicles a year are produced at 14 manufacturing and assembly operations in five countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering around 180 countries. KIA today has around 51,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of over US$47 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Open and an official automotive partner of FIFA – the governing body of the FIFA World Cup™. KIA Motors Corporation’s brand slogan – “The Power to Surprise” – represents the company’s global commitment to surprise the world by providing exciting and inspiring experiences that go beyond expectations.