Sport and refugees weekly: 14 November 2021
When Alphonso Davies and his parents moved to Edmonton as refugees, when Davies was a child, he used to attend an after-school sports program at the Edmonton Soccer Centre East. While back in Edmonton with the Canadian men’s national soccer team for World Cup qualifying matches, he is playing in front of his hometown for the first time since turning professional. Free Play for Kids, the after-school program he attended, offers a barrier-free and inclusive safe space for about 400 children and families from Edmonton’s marginalized and vulnerable communities.
Football therapy: Afghan refugees get on the pitch (ABC)
Some of the Afghan refugees that fled their native country earlier this year and arrived in Australia are being housed in Bella Vista, in wester Sydney. Last week, the Afghan refugees gathered at a suburban soccer pitch in their new neighbourhood to play a friendly game against the local club, Ariana.
The Koora Time initiative works to create an environment that encourages football participation, focusing on the psychological impacts on participants and their families and aiming to improve the health and safety of children and youth in Qatar through football. QFA and Shell Qatar are working together to expand the initiative to reach the recently arrived Afghan refugees that have resetlled in Qatar.
St. Paul Humboldt refugee background soccer team makes state finals (CBS Minnesota)
The St. Paul Humboldt boys soccer team is in their second ever state tournament, becoming the first Humboldt team to play for a state title in any sport since 1947. All but one team player are from families who came to the US as refugees from Thailand or Myanmar. This is a big moment not just for the players, but for the larger community that they are part of – 400 members of the Karen community came out to support the boys in their game.
Hundreds of students build skills through diverse soccer program (San Juan Unified School District)
Nearly 800 students from the San Juan Unified school district from grades 1 to 8 are taking part in a 12-week soccer program. The San Juan Soccer Club aims to build teamwork, inclusivity and unite the district’s refugee community with the diverse student population, using football as a tool. The program will provide newcomer refugee students with coaching, tutoring and language skill practice, to build their self-esteem and come out of their comfort zones.
Abdi Nageeye wants to inspire Somalis and refugees (Athletics News)
Fresh off his silver medal win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the marathon, Abdi Nageeye is being celebrated in countries across the world, including Netherlands, his adopted home, Somalia, his native country and Kenya, the country he fled to first and where he honed his running skills. Nageeye’s silver was the second ever medal for Netherlands in the Olympic marathon event. Nageeye knows his impact is not just on his adopted country, but that he is also an inspiration for the younger generation in Somalia and many other refugees.
Introducing the Refugee Football project (Asylum Welcome)
A new project in Oxford and Oxfordshire aims to use football to help refugees, asylees and vulnerable migrant men to access appropriate mainstream services that they may be unable to, due to language, cultural or health barriers. The programme consists of weekly sessions at a local school where the young men can safely enjoy themselves, while having access to a counsellor and clinical support.
Norwich charity using power of football to welcome refugees to the city (ITV)
New Routes Integration, a charity in Norwich, is using football to allow players to meet new people, build friendships and fine-tune their skills. The weekly sessions are run at the UEA Sportspark. Though the football games are informal, many players have gone on to play for local clubs.
This information has been compiled by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
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