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Dr. Pal Schmitt (center), member of the European Parliament, and President of the World Olympians Association, joined players and spectators at the football event. (Photographer: Michel Deurinck, Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia) |
On 11 October 2005 Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia organized its first football tournament at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. Special Olympics Belgium athletes, students from the International School of Brussels (ISB) and a selection of European Parliamentarians competed in Unified SportsŪ matches in a park adjacent to the Parliament building. The event was organized under the auspices of the European Parliament Sports Intergroup and with the support of UEFA, the European football governing body. The city of Brussels and city police provided logistics for the event. The referee was provided by the Belgian Football Association.
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Special Olympics Belgium athlete Jacques Van Hess (left) and Michael Smith, Managing Director, Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia, accept a check for football development from William Gaillard, Director, Public Affairs and Communications, UEFA (right). (Photographer: Michel Deurinck, Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia) |
The aim of the event was to raise awareness among members of the European Parliament about the positive role sport can play in terms of social inclusion, and to contribute to a new European attitude toward sports and people with intellectual disabilities.
Chris Heaton-Harris, MEP (UK), whose office sponsored the event, said: "Today, we all contributed to an event that will foster a better understanding in Parliament on the role sport can play in changing perceptions about intellectual disabilities."
As part of the event, William Gaillard, Director, Public Affairs and Communications for UEFA, presented Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia with a check for 500,000 euros (approximately US$598,000) for the region's football development project in 2006.
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Special Olympics Belgium athletes, students from the International School of Brussels, and members of the European Parliament come together at a football event that was supported by UEFA. (Photographer: Michel Deurinck, Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia)
One of the ISB students who participated in the event said: "What is very funny is that while playing you never see the difference between each other; on the team we were all equal and that was great."
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