DistantNews
Support us
🇦🇺 Australia /Good News

Soccer tournament unites refugees through sport

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • The Freedom Cup soccer tournament unites refugees in Perth, Australia, during Refugee Week.
  • Participants say the sport builds connections and understanding among diverse communities.
  • The event aims to foster friendships and strengthen the community through a shared passion for soccer.

Mayada Ali, a Kurdish woman who spent six years in a refugee camp in northern Iraq before coming to Australia, is passionate about soccer. She is participating in the Freedom Cup for the third time, a tournament celebrating Refugee Week that brings refugee communities together in Perth's northern suburbs. "Soccer always brings all of us together in a field, and everyone is equal, and we all bring our unique ways from different backgrounds," Ali said. She believes the tournament builds connections and new friendships, making the community stronger and fostering mutual understanding.

But for me, when you have passion about something, just do it.

— Mayada AliAli discusses overcoming barriers to playing soccer.

Ali's own journey with soccer began with her younger brother Salih's dream to play in the World Cup. After his death from cancer, she felt lost but was determined to continue his dream in a different way. "The way the coaches that time supported me, and they made me love soccer more and more," she recalled. Her experiences have made her stronger and more patient, though she acknowledges the difficult times and sights she witnessed during the war.

Soccer always brings all of us together in a field, and everyone is equal, and we all bring our unique ways from different backgrounds. It's a special thing and it really makes the community grow stronger and stronger and understand each other more.

— Mayada AliAli describes the unifying power of the Freedom Cup tournament.

Eli Nkindi, who started playing soccer in a refugee camp before coming to Australia at age nine, echoed the sentiment that soccer is a universal language. "Football is always a way of expressing ourselves through activities and just another way to kind of enjoy being around other people," he said. Coaching the Burundi men's team at the Freedom Cup, Nkindi enjoys seeing his players have fun. "It's a good day out for everyone to enjoy the football and meet new people, meet new faces and just connect with everyone and get together," he said.

What I've been through, it makes me the person who I am today, stronger, have more patience.

— Mayada AliAli reflects on her past experiences as a refugee.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog