Shanghai to host inaugural Asian Touch Cup

The tournament will be played 16-18 October 2020 at the magnificent Shanghai Tan Sports Public Park, where later this month the annual Shanghai International Touch Tournament (SITT) will take place.

The Asian Cup will attract national men’s, women’s and mixed teams from across Asia, including newly minted FIT member Sri Lanka.

General Secretary of the China Touch Association, Mr Topy Xu, said, “This a is a massive honour for China, and we are looking forward to welcoming the best Touch players from our continent to Shanghai.

“This event will build on the momentum established at the Touch World Cup in Malaysia earlier this year where the best teams from Asia met head-on with the sport’s leading lights Australia and New Zealand.”

Mr Xu continued, “The Asian Cup is open to our fellow FIT members from across Asia and will provide a valuable opportunity for their national teams to prepare themselves for the cauldron of World Cup competition.”

More competition equals improved performance

In Europe, where Touch has been played competitively for over 20 years, the biennial European Championships has demonstrated the value of regular multi-national competitions.

FIT Event Director, Mr Gary Reynolds, said, “Europe has shown that through more regular competition, performances have improved with the likes of England on the verge of semi-finals in Men’s and Women’s Open and Scotland taking home bronze in the Mixed Open at the World Cup.”

He continued, “The Shanghai venue is perfect for this inaugural event. As the long-time home of the Shanghai International Touch Tournament, which regularly attracts club teams from across Asia, many of the Asian Cup participants will already be familiar with the facilities.

“I’m really excited at the prospect of collaborating with Topy and his team, and I would like to thank Shanghai Tan Sports Public Park for hosting this significant milestone event for our sport.”