Press Release
The First Lady of South Africa signed the shirt of former football star Mark Fish.
First Lady of South Africa Kicks Off Special Olympics Africa Football Initiative
Contact: Ancilla Smith:
Number: +27 11 783 8533
E-mail: asmith@specialolympics.org
For release: 30th November 2009
Special Olympics Africa (SOA) today launched its African Football Initiative with a friendly Unified™ celebrity football challenge in Nelson Mandela Square, Johannesburg.
A friendly rivalry sprang up between the 94.7 team and the celebrity soccer team. Darren Simpson had challenged soccer legends Lucas Radebe, Mark Fish and Sean Barlett on radio last week. Banyana Banyana player, Janine van Wyk joined the legends and their Special Olympic Athlete partners. Darren Simpson headed up a team with Special Olympics Athletes and Bongani Nxumalo, Zane Derbyshire, Joey Rasdien and Andrew Aris. Surprisingly Darren’s team was 6-2 up at half time, Darren having scored four of those goals. The legends looked slightly sluggish but managed a comeback in the second half and the game ended in a 10-10 draw. Graeme Joffe provided a highly entertaining commentary throughout the match.
Lucas Radebe is a patron of Special Olympics South Africa.
The First Lady of South Africa, Mrs. Nompumelelo Zuma, who is an ambassador of Special Olympics South Africa, kicked off the ball to open the match. This same ball will make a 10,000 mile pilgrimage from London through 17 African countries to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The launch was also supported by the world male and female Freestyle Football celebrities, Jeon Kwon and Charlotte Lade.
The Special Olympics Movement transforms communities by inspiring people to open their minds, to accept and include people with intellectual disabilities, celebrating differences among all people…recognizing and respecting the similarities we all share.
“Through football, we can certainly help these individuals achieve greater things, on and off the field; in turn, they can inspire all of us with their unstoppable spirit.”
Ossie Ardiles, Argentinean football legend and Co-Chair, Special Olympics Global Football Advisory Committee
The vision for the Special Olympics Global Football movement is to make Special Olympics synonymous with football, recognized as a professionally organized movement that deserves the support of the football community to continue improving the lives of people with an intellectual disability around the world.
During 2010 the eyes of the world will be focused on Africa and SOA plans to use this opportunity to drive this global vision throughout Africa.
SOA will be engaging in a number of exciting activities during 2010 to help create awareness of intellectual disability throughout Africa and to promote football as a tool for development, and for fostering inclusion and acceptance.
SOA is partnering with Spirit of Football CIC on the initiative "The Ball”.
The partnership aims to showcase the achievements of intellectually disabled athletes in Africa though joint activities around “The Ball".
“The Ball” is the star of the beautiful game. Every four years, The Ball kicks off from Battersea Park in London, where the very first game of modern rules football took place in 1864. The Ball celebrates this moment - the conception of modern football - because it gave rise to a common set of rules which enables the whole world to play together.
In 2010 The Ball will embark on its most ambitious journey yet, a 10,000 mile pilgrimage through Europe and Africa to the World Cup in South Africa.
The Ball will travel through England, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote De Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Namibia and Botswana to arrive in South Africa in June 2010 for the World Cup.
Andrew Aris from Spirit of Football was in South Africa to participate in the event. Andrew will be travelling with The Ball on its journey to the 2010 World Cup.
“Special Olympics and The Ball together have the power to break down the many barriers and divisions that the world faces,” shared Dr. John Dow Managing Director for Special Olympics Africa. “This journey to the World Cup will create understanding and friendships through sport, something that Special Olympics accomplishes daily, throughout the world.”
In 2010, The Ball will be made in Africa, by Africa, for Africa through a partnership with the social enterprise Alive and Kicking.
The ball that they make is "an African ball made for the poorest African communities - the very embodiment of development through football in Africa." says James Flecker of Alive & Kicking.
The Ball will have the support of DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa. DHL is the world’s leading logistics company and will provide invaluable assistance with the journey across the African continent.
“DHL Express, Sub-Saharan Africa acknowledges what a great and worthwhile positive message the journey of ‘The Ball’ communicates to so many thousands of people. We are proud to provide our support, through our world renowned logistical solutions, for its journey across the African Continent”
Phil Couchman, Managing Director, DHL Express SSA.
Special Olympics Africa has also been selected to participate in the Football For Hope Festival 2010.
The Football for Hope Festival 2010 is a highlight of the Football For Hope Movement and a celebration of the power of football and the positive impact that it has on community development. The Festival is a FIFA official event and will take place in South Africa, in Alexandra, concurrently with the 2010 FIFA World cup™. Mixed-gender teams from across the globe will celebrate the game in a fast-paced football tournament. Special Olympics Africa will be entering a 5 a side unified mixed gender team consisting of two players from each of the following Special Olympics Football for Hope implementing countries: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Mauritius.
Africa is unlikely to have the privilege of hosting the World Cup again in the near future so it is incumbent on SOA to ensure that we not only capitalize on this opportunity, but more importantly, ensure that the benefits created by this event continue to be realized by our athletes in the region indefinitely.
Websites:
www.spiritoffootball.com
www.specialolympics.org
www.aliveandkicking.org.uk
www.dhl.com