Football: bringing people together

Football is GOLD!

On a global scale, football is huge and important to many countries. If it were a religion, it would be high up there on the list. Whether based on most fans, most participants, or whatever definition or criteria is used for popularity, football is ranked #1 on the list. Even better, football has a special way of bringing people together.

The game itself is beautiful and it has the ability to destroy social, political and religious boundaries. Football creates a unique common ground for people to put aside their differences and revel in one another in that single moment.

During major championships like the World Cup, Africa Cup of Nations or Euro Cup, ‘the world is maximally tied together in one lingua franca, which is soccer’.

Blog post inspired by Euro2012. Congratulations to Spain for a well-played final!

In other news….

It’s been quite a busy week filled with football activities I thought I’d be footballed-out by now. Including myself, four people in my house play football; we have also been following the Euro 2012; AND the annual Africa Centre Cup 2012 Soccer Championship in Edmonton is this weekend and wraps up July 2.

I often forget how large the African population in Edmonton is until huge events like Heritage Festival, Cariwest, and the African soccer championship. I see some of the same families at the soccer championship every year, and it’s always nice to meet others who are new to the event or city.

Unlike Heritage Fest or Cariwest, the African soccer championship allows children and families to mingle. There are opportunities for the children to play together and enjoy the event.

The tournament also brings the men in the African community together in a way other events in town do not. When it comes to participating, there is no boundary. The tournament is not solely for Africans. From Canadians to Indians, Pakistanis, all is welcome to join a team, and one does not have to be Nigerian to join the Nigerian team, likewise for the other teams.

I normally spend a lot of time at the two-day event, watching as many games as possible. This year, not so much, especially since it rained a lot today. But here are some photos from the previous years.