BEPPU, Oita -- Pilots, man your drones! Japan's first regulation arena for the new sport of drone soccer opened in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, on Friday.
The facility, built to meet international standards, was established by a private company on its premises in cooperation with Japan Sun Industries, a social welfare corporation in the city.
The Japan Drone Soccer Federation hopes to make the new facility a foothold for the promotion of the sport.
Drone soccer originated in South Korea and is played with five pilots per team. Players must fly their drone -- surrounded with a spherical plastic frame about 40 centimeters in diameter -- through a ring at the end of a cage that resembles a soccer field, while the other drones attack and defend. Drone soccer is said to be attracting attention as a universal sport that everyone can enjoy regardless of age and sex.
The drone soccer arena was built by ADE in Beppu, a subsidiary of Autobacs Seven Co., an auto parts company that also sells drones. Measuring 7 meters wide, 16 meters deep and 5 meters high, the arena cage sits inside an obsolete indoor swimming pool.
In a demonstration, two groups of drone pilots waged a fierce battle flying drones in front of the goal.
"The attraction of the sport is the powerful sound and wind pressure made when drones collide with each other," said an Autobacs Seven employee who started playing drone soccer one year ago. "I want to convey the pleasure of the game to many people, and increase the number of drone soccer players."
Yasuharu Awaji, 50, the secretary general of the federation said: "I want people to casually enjoy the game. I want to liven up Beppu and Oita Prefecture with drone soccer."
ADE President Masaaki Yatsuzuka said, "I want to make Beppu the holy ground of drone soccer."
In addition to holding national and international drone soccer competitions, the federation and the company hope to help physically disabled people to improve their motor skills through drone soccer.
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