Hwaebul Cup
{{Infobox football tournament
| logo =
| organiser = {{nowrap|DPR Korea Football Association}}
| founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2013}}
| number of teams = 12
| region = North Korea
| domestic cup =
| confed cup = AFC Challenge League
| current champions =Rimyongsu (1st title)
| most successful club = April 25 (4 titles)
| website =
| broadcasters =
| current = 2022 Hwaebul Cup
}}
The Hwaebul Cup (홰불, Torch) is an annual association football competition in men's domestic football in North Korea. It is organised by the DPR Korea Football Association, the governing body of football in North Korea. The competition is held for Youth Day, 28 August, one of North Korea's major holidays.{{Cite web |url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=18754 |title=Hwaeppul tipped to win namesake tournament |access-date=2018-03-06 |archive-date=2018-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228100726/http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=18754 |url-status=dead }}
Competition format
Beginning in July or August, the competition proceeds in two stages. The first stage consists of the teams divided into two groups playing in a single round-robin basis,{{Cite web |url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=20745 |title=First-division Hwaeppul Cup goes on |access-date=2018-03-06 |archive-date=2018-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228161457/http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=20745 |url-status=dead }} with the winner and second-place team of each group advancing to the knockout stage consisting of two semi-final matches and a final, which is played on 28 August of each year.
Venues
All matches are played at one stadium in Pyongyang, which varies year to year. In 2013 the matches were held at the Kim Il-sung Stadium,[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nkor2013.html North Korea 2013] in 2014 at Yanggakdo Stadium,{{Cite web |url=https://nkaggregator.com/2014/08/28/final-game-of-soccer-tournament-for-torch-cup-held/ |title=Final Game of Soccer Tournament for Torch Cup Held | North Korea Aggregator |access-date=2018-03-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228161616/https://nkaggregator.com/2014/08/28/final-game-of-soccer-tournament-for-torch-cup-held/ |archive-date=2018-02-28 |url-status=dead }} in 2015 at Rungrado 1st of May Stadium,{{Cite web |url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=20800 |title=Hwaeppul Cup premier league finals draw to a close |access-date=2018-03-06 |archive-date=2018-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228100642/http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=20800 |url-status=dead }} in 2016 at Sŏsan Stadium,{{Cite web |url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=22741 |title=Hwaeppul Cup men's premier soccer tournament ends |access-date=2018-03-06 |archive-date=2017-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228134024/http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports |url-status=dead }} and in 2017 once again at Rungrado Stadium.{{Cite web |url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=24921 |title=Sobaeksu lifts Hwaeppul Cup |access-date=2018-03-06 |archive-date=2017-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009093613/http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports |url-status=dead }}
List of champions
- 2013: April 25
- 2014: April 25
- 2015: April 25
- 2016: April 25
- 2017: Sobaeksu
- 2018: Ryomyong{{cite web|url=http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2019/201908/news06/20190806-10ee.html|title=Men's Soccer Tournament for Torch Cup|website=Korean Central News Agency|date=6 August 2019|access-date=3 September 2019|archive-date=23 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191123232655/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2019/201908/news06/20190806-10ee.html|url-status=dead}}
- 2019: Ryomyong{{cite web|url=http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2019/201908/news30/20190830-04ee.html|title=Ryomyong Team Wins Torch Cup|website=Korean Central News Agency|date=30 August 2019|access-date=3 September 2019|archive-date=23 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191123234845/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2019/201908/news30/20190830-04ee.html|url-status=dead}}
- 2022: Rimyongsu{{cite news |title=Men's Soccer Tournament for Torch Cup Closes |url=http://www.kcna.kp/en/article/q/8ec910f5df28ac6566758171b021c2b3.kcmsf |access-date=27 November 2022 |work=Korean Central News Agency |date=2022-08-29}}
- 2024: April 25{{cite news |title=Soccer Tournament for Torch Cup Closes |url=http://www.kcna.kp/en/article/q/2b9cc24f4b9bfa08344a46f21f12292d.kcmsf19da36.kcmsf |access-date=5 October 2024 |agency=Korea Central News Agency |date=29 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240829104800/http://www.kcna.kp/en/article/q/2b9cc24f4b9bfa08344a46f21f12292d.kcmsf |archive-date=29 August 2024}} - Clinched 2025–26 AFC Challenge League Qualifying Play-off spot. But they can participate the competition only if they obtain the club licence from the Asian Football Confederation.
References
{{Reflist}}
- [https://worldfootballindex.com/2017/06/north-korea-football-jorn-andersenn/ The Chosun Jørn: Can Jørn Andersen Make Sense of North Korean Football?]
{{HwaebulCup}}
{{Football in North Korea}}
{{National football Cups (AFC region)}}
Category:Football competitions in North Korea