More than 800 footballers from refugee and migrant backgrounds are taking part in a Brisbane football tournament aimed at breaking down cultural barriers.
The Football Fiesta tournament began in 2009 with just 13 teams and has now grown to 40 teams representing a variety of cultures.
Teams including the African Lions, Liberia Boyz, South Korea and Congo showcase the diversity of cultures that now call Brisbane and its surrounding areas home.
The tournament is part of the Multicultural Development Association’s (MDA) Welcome Fest, one of the largest welcome festivals for refugees and migrants in Australia, with more than 17,000 people attending each year.
Former Queenslander of the Year Jim Bellos has volunteered with the MDA since 2009 organizing Fiesta for refugees and migrants.
“Our aim is to use football to strengthen relationships between Brisbane’s different communities,” Mr Bellos said.
“We all need to live together and events like this help different ethnic and cultural groups understand each other and highlight their origins.”
In 2009, Mr. Bellos realized that the global game was perfect for bringing together different cultural groups that otherwise would have little in common.
“Our multicultural community is proud of its cultural and sporting heritage. Football is a sport that runs in its blood,” Mr Bellos said.
After seeing the talent displayed by many players, he invited scouts from local clubs to come and see the players in action.
He said many migrants could not afford to play football because of registration fees of up to $500 charged by clubs.
Fees are paid to state and national governing bodies to support elite regional teams and are used by local clubs to cover general operating costs, such as equipment and maintenance.
“There are players who are extremely talented but who, for financial reasons, cannot afford the registration fees to play for clubs in Brisbane,” Mr Bellos said.
Football Fiesta gives refugee Mustafa Jafari a chance to shine
Mustafa Jafari celebrates after scoring for Olympic FC (Getty Images: Bradley Kanaris)
Mustafa Jafari is one of the many success stories to come out of the refugee football tournament.
In 2012, aged 16, he traveled alone to Australia as an asylum seeker from Iran, where he had been detained.
Once his refugee status was approved, he moved to Brisbane where his love of football led him to the program run by Mr Bellos.
After appearing in the 2013 tournament for Afghan side Brisbane All Stars, he later played for semi-professional National Premier League (NPL) side Olympic FC.
“This tournament is really beneficial for refugees in Brisbane to make more friends and gain more experience in life and football,” he said.
“I want to thank Jim Bellos and everyone who helped because they are doing very hard work in Brisbane for refugees.”
David Kuet Kai arrived in Australia from South Sudan with his family as a refugee in 2003.
When David first arrived he traveled around the states until arriving in Brisbane in 2009.
In 2009, a friend told David about the refugee football tournament and asked him to train with the Best United team.
David said the tournament gave him the opportunity to make friends with people from many cultures and learn about their backgrounds while allowing him to showcase his footballing skills.
David Kai (front row, far right) with members of the 2015 South Sudan national team (Provided by David Kai)
Since participating in the tournament, he has played for Eastern Suburbs FC in the Brisbane Premier League (BPL) for the past two seasons.
His abilities on the pitch caught the attention of football officials in his home country and, alongside five other migrants from South Sudan, David was selected to play for the country’s national team in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers later this year.
If successful, the team will have the chance to participate in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon against 52 other African teams.
Despite his many football commitments, David has participated in the tournament every year since moving to Brisbane and says it is an important event for him and the Brisbane refugee community.
“Jim Bellos is doing a wonderful job, there isn’t a single refugee who doesn’t know who he is because of the work he does in the community and especially with football,” he said.
“Football brings us all together. It is a game that we all know and love very much. The fans are also very passionate, they never fail to attend the matches. This tournament connects the community”
– David Kuet Kai’s team have progressed through the qualifying rounds and will face the top eight teams at the Welcome Fest celebrations on June 14 at Annerley Football Club.
