Game promotes friendship across cultures
Ethkick tournament kicks off
STACEY OLIVER
Last updated 12:00 16/02/2012
EYES ON THE BALL: Malay footballers Fitry Rashedi, Rahimi Chejutoh, Din Abdul and Fadhil Abdullah will be among those playing in the Ethkick tournament.
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Forty teams will speak the language of football during the Ethkick tournament in Palmerston North on Saturday.
Teams from South America, Cambodia, Bhutan, Oman, Malaysia, England and a host of other ethnic groups have entered the tournament, now in its fourth year.
For the first time since the tournament's inception, teams featuring players from the Cook Islands, Thailand and north Africa will compete.
The tournament, won by a Saudi Arabian team last year, features opening and closing ceremonies, entertainment and food stalls.
Chairwoman for the organising committee, Heather Tanguay, said there had been a good response from the community this year.
The tournament was created to promote friendship through football across cultures, she said.
"All around the world football is played. It doesn't matter if it is played in a huge stadium with thousands of people or on a muddy field with a couple of tins for goals – everybody speaks the same language of football."
The tournament had grown stronger with each year, Mrs Tanguay said.
Each team will field seven players on the field, and play five games each.
"It's an operation to get those games running smoothly and it has got to be tight to get everything played on the same day."
The event will kick off at 8am on Saturday at Arena Manawatu.
All the best to Malaysian Team!
Uzair say Go Papa!
