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2011 Homeless World Cup: Everyone’s a winner… sort of

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To Americans who are still disappointed by the American Women’s Soccer team’s defeat this year in the World Cup finals: Fear not! There is still a chance for international “football” redemption, in something called the Homeless World Cup.

Over the weekend 64 international teams — 16 of them women’s — from 48 countries convened in Paris for the unusual soccer tournament.

Organizers expect the event to attract upwards of 50,000 spectators throughout the week, but stress that the real goal of the event is to improve the lives of the participants – who in order to qualify, must have been homeless at some point during the previous year, an asylum-seeker, or formerly homeless but currently in drug rehabilitation.

“The impact of this competition is profound. It has engaged over 100,000 homeless people since it started and over 70 percent of participants have changed their lives for the better,” Mel Young, President and co-founder of the Homeless World Cup said in a statement. “The Paris 2011 Homeless World Cup is an opportunity for homeless people to move from being invisible to stand proud on a global stage, and be the true ambassadors for their country that they are.”

The teams are composed from smaller local leagues and are not full – rather the games are be smaller 4-on-4 matches that last 14 minutes apiece.

According to The Independent in London, governments and sponsors from each team’s respective country fund the teams.

The Homeless World Cup’s website explains that the winner will receive a trophy and in conjunction with their goal of improving lives and raising self-esteem, each participant will get a medal.

“Each player leaves the Homeless World Cup with a medal,” the website reads. “They also receive a once in a life time opportunity to change their lives. They acquire self-esteem, pride, passion and the tools and strength to better one’s own life.”

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Tags : paris
Caroline May