Flag raising ceremony for Junior World Championship

The official flag raising ceremony for the 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship was held at the Market Street Plaza in downtown Canton. The event was followed by a luncheon reception at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Local government officials, IFAF delegates and VIPs, and head coaches and official representatives of the eight competing teams were on hand to kick off the event.

The 2009 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Junior World Championship – the world’s first football tournament featuring the best high school-aged national teams from four continents – kicks off in Canton on June 27.  All games will be played in historic Pro Football Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett Stadium. The venue is also home to the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game and Hall of Fame Enshrinement ceremony.

National football teams, aged 19 and under, from the following eight countries have qualified for the right to play in the first IFAF Junior World Championship (listed in order of seeding): 1. Canada; 2. United States; 3. Mexico; 4. Japan; 5. Germany; 6. Sweden; 7. France; and 8. New Zealand.

All-day general admission tickets are $10; reserved tickets to all 12 tournament games are $50. Ticket and travel packages are also available. For more information, please visit www.jwcfootball.com or call 1-800-574-5874.