Somali migrants will stage the inaugural Australian Somali Football

[Kulmiye]

For the Somali community soccer is a way of life. In the backstreets of Flemington children thrust their heads at, and juggle, the round ball over and over.

 

It’s the way it was back home and little has changed in Australia, says young Somali leader Abdiirisak Artan.

 

“Soccer is always our passion wherever we are,” the 20-year-old says.

 

“It’s our key sport. It plays an integral part in our society.”

 

So much so that Mr Artan is now using the world game as a tool to help strengthen and unite the local African community.

 

This week, the inaugural Australian Somali football championships will be held in Flemington and Kensington.

 

The five day round-robin tournament has attracted a pool of eight teams including four interstate teams and local squads including Carlton, Broadmeadows, Heidelberg/Reservoir, and North Melbourne/Flemington.

 

Mr Artan is chairman of the Australian Somali Football Association (ASFA).

 

He hatched the plan for the championships with a long-term goal of bringing the World Somali football championships to Melbourne in years to come.

 

A predominantly Victorian-sourced team competed at this year’s championships in Sweden in July. Next year’s event will be in Canada.

 

“We were sitting around and said we need to find a way to bring the international cup to Melbourne,” Mr Artan says. “Essentially, this is a World Cup bid.”

 

The following two years will be used as a stepping stone to launch a bid to become host in 2012 or beyond.

 

“We’re hoping we can grow this year. This is a learning curve for us, the first time the Somali soccer championships have ever been held in Australia. We’re hoping for success this year and the following year and by 2012 we’ll get in contact with the international committee and put in a proposal.”

 

But while there is much at stake on the pitch, Mr Artan says the tournament itself carries a much greater purpose off-field.

 

Source: Moonee Valley Weekly

[FatB]

looooooools moonee vally weekly niqqa isa sheeg not many niqqas read the vally weekly