Fair Play #9: Futsal Soccer Competition, Sat Oct 29th @ Victoria Park
Football is a widespread game – “The World Game” - enjoyed by many, bringing peace and friendship between countries and unites individuals, families and friends. In impoverished countries such as Cambodia, football is gradually on the rise. Children and men play in the capital city of Phnom Penh anywhere they can from parks to pavements to roadsides and rice fields without any coaches or training. The establishment of Happy Football Cambodia Australia in 2005 has made these dreams become possible.
Happy Football Cambodia Australia helps underprivileged children by providing them with the equipment, space and skills they need to become professional football players. In conjunction with training children around schools in the city of Phnom Penh, Happy Football Cambodia Australia paved the way for a team to represent Cambodia at the 2008 Homeless World Cup in Melbourne, the 2009 Homeless World Cup in Milan, the 2010 HWC in Rio de Janeiro and this year in Paris for the 2011 Homeless World Cup.
The ‘Fair Play’ Futsal Soccer Competition has been instrumental in raising funds to help Happy Football Cambodia Australia run their programs and to send a team to the Homeless World Cup. So far the tournaments have raised a total of over $25,000. Funds from Fair Play are donated to both Happy Football Cambodia and the Collingwood Allstars Football Program.
Fair Play has evolved into a family day of fun, with spectators supporting the 20 mixed teams, whilst enjoying the music, bar, coffee and food, and other off pitch activities including kids activities.
At Fair Play 9 there will be a DJs pitchside, live music, and a Foosball Table competition, where the winner walks away with a table (if they can carry it!).
Fair Play encourages the participation from all corners of the local community and teams have included players from public housing estates (funded by Vic Police), teams with disabilities, the Australian Homeless National Team (the Socceroos), RRR, PBSFM and KissFM radio stations, the City of Yarra and the Cambodian National Homeless Team.
This time round, see the local teams take on Melbourne Fire Brigade, City of Yarra, Vic Police, Bendigo Bank and PBSFM.
The 9th Fair Play competition takes place on Saturday October 29th at Victoria Park, off Johnston Street, Abbotsford. If you would like to enter a team in to the competition please contact pgrogan@hfcaustralia.org (most spots are gone) or come down on the day and help us change lives. See www.hfcaustralia.org for more details.
