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Scotland Wins Homeless World Cup |
The 2007 Scottish Champions. (c) Homeless World Cup
Scotland has won the Copenhagen 2007 Homeless World Cup-the international football tournament that changes lives. Forty-eight nations and 500 players were given a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent their country for true grit, spirit and glory. Scotland beat Poland in the finals by 9 goals to 3 in front of packed crowds.
The Homeless World Cup is a life-changing international football tournament. It unites teams of homeless people from across the globe. The tournament consists of men and women over the age of 16. Each country stages national trials that involve hundreds of people training for a period of time, sufficient for them to make changes to their lives.
It is estimated that 25,000 players benefit from the pre-tournament training. Just one year after the Edinburgh 2005 World Cup, 77 per cent of players went on to find a home, get education, jobs, training and repair relationships with their friends and family.
The tournament also supports and inspires grassroots football projects around the world, working with homeless and excluded people throughout the year. The goal is to reach at least 100,000 players per year by 2010.
Each player received a medal for participating. Poland's Captain, Rafal Rozonski, said: "One of my strongest dreams has been realized: to represent my country and participate in a World Cup Final. It can be very hard to be homeless but playing soccer makes you forget about that. You can be free."
At the Closing Ceremony, Mel Young, the founder of the Homeless World Cup, said to 48 nations, packed crowds and players: "Are you watching world? Believe that we can end homelessness. Believe that we can end poverty. Homeless people, believe that you can change. We create a framework, use our imagination and believe we can change lives, change the world. We have shown this in a small way in Copenhagen. It is time to do more. Believe in the spirit of the event, the magic that happens to transform lives, to transform the world." The 6th Homeless World Cup 2008 will be held in Melbourne.
The Homeless World Cup is a life-changing international football tournament. It unites teams of homeless people from across the globe. The tournament consists of men and women over the age of 16. Each country stages national trials that involve hundreds of people training for a period of time, sufficient for them to make changes to their lives.
It is estimated that 25,000 players benefit from the pre-tournament training. Just one year after the Edinburgh 2005 World Cup, 77 per cent of players went on to find a home, get education, jobs, training and repair relationships with their friends and family.
The tournament also supports and inspires grassroots football projects around the world, working with homeless and excluded people throughout the year. The goal is to reach at least 100,000 players per year by 2010.
Each player received a medal for participating. Poland's Captain, Rafal Rozonski, said: "One of my strongest dreams has been realized: to represent my country and participate in a World Cup Final. It can be very hard to be homeless but playing soccer makes you forget about that. You can be free."
At the Closing Ceremony, Mel Young, the founder of the Homeless World Cup, said to 48 nations, packed crowds and players: "Are you watching world? Believe that we can end homelessness. Believe that we can end poverty. Homeless people, believe that you can change. We create a framework, use our imagination and believe we can change lives, change the world. We have shown this in a small way in Copenhagen. It is time to do more. Believe in the spirit of the event, the magic that happens to transform lives, to transform the world." The 6th Homeless World Cup 2008 will be held in Melbourne.
Visit: www.homelessworldcup.org
Story from Positive Living
