ELLIE'S BLOG on Living Well with Disability

.soccer here...soccer there...soccer(football) everywhere !

Unity Cup Match

A Dream Come True

Unity Cup participants including South African president Jacob Zuma, Special Olympics global ambassador Zhang Ziyi, NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo, various soccer legends and Special Olympics athletes gather for a group photo outside Cape Town Stadium on Friday July 2^nd just after the teams practiced in advance of Saturday's match.

This exciting Unity Cup Event took place at Cape Town stadium on Saturday July 3 just before the World Cup quarterfinal between Germany and Argentina.

And what a game it was. Celebrities, soccer legends and even the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma,took to the field alongside 16 Special Olympics athlete's from all over the world. The two teams - named ?Special Stars? and ?Happiness United? - enjoyed a 20-minute match on the FIFA World Cup? stadium pitch.

Both Coca-Cola and Special Olympics executives hailed this as the beginning of an incredible journey together.  The match ended in a 2-2 draw.  All four goals in the match were scored by special Olympic athletes.  This demonstrates just how talented the soccer players were. Click on the You Tube video to see a great sport played with enthusiasm and skill.

As football (soccer) is the world's most popular sport incorporating it into the Special Olympics is a natural progression. Today more than 20 national football federations across Europe have integrated support of players with intellectual disabilities into their regular activity plans. For more information click onto:

http://www.specialolympics.org/global_football.aspx

Hopefully here in the United States where soccer(football) is not the leading sport we can do the same.

As Ossie Ardiles, Argentinian football legend and Co-Chair, Special Olympics Global Football Advisory Committee said, " 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."

                                                                                     ellie