Jumping in the car and heading to the local sports club for a game is a weekend tradition that most Australian families and children take for granted.
But this is not the case for brothers Saman, Sipan and Rizgar Almuhama.
The brothers were born in the Sinjar district of northeastern Iraq, near the Syrian border.
They are Yazidis, an ethnic minority group brutally persecuted by the Islamic State.
Saman helps his classmates by translating advice from the coaching staff. (ABC South Queensland: Tobi Loftus)
“Football in Iraq was so different from here,” said 15-year-old Saman.
“There was no pitch like here in Australia, we just played in the street, it was different.
“In some places we had goal posts, but not everywhere.
“We made goal posts with our shoes or sneakers.“
There were often disputes over whether the ball made it through the goals.
“We just played paper, scissors, rock or something,” said Sipan, 13.
“In Iraq we played on the dirt and in the streets, but here we play on beautiful fields.”
Sipan says he loves playing football on the pitches in Toowoomba. (ABC South Queensland: Tobi Loftus)
Greener Pastures
Four and a half years ago the boys and their family moved to Toowoomba in southern Queensland.
The brothers soon joined Multicultural Australia’s Connecting Through Sport program, a four-week program aimed at helping children transition to playing at a local club.
They now play in their age group for the University of Southern Queensland Football Club (USQ FC).
“It’s amazing to play for USQ, I think it’s a great club,” Sipan said.
Sipan, Saman and Rizgar Almuhamed (left to right) left Iraq for Australia four and a half years ago. (ABC South Queensland: Tobi Loftus)
All three said they liked playing soccer because it gave them the opportunity to have fun with their friends.
They all support the Spanish club Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo is their favorite player.
The youngest brother Rizgar plays for the South West Queensland Thunder. (ABC South Queensland: Tobi Loftus)
Rizgar, 10, didn’t play soccer on the streets of Iraq as a child, but he has vivid memories of watching his brothers play.
He now plays at district level for the South West Queensland Thunder.
“They’re one of the best clubs in Queensland,” he said.
“Most of our family plays soccer and we’re all great.“
Alicia Fitzpatrick says the boys have been an invaluable addition to USQ FC. (ABC South Queensland: Tobi Loftus)
“Bridging the gap”
According to the 2021 census, Toowoomba is home to Australia’s largest Yazidi population and their Kurdish dialect is the second most spoken language in the city after English..
USQ FC secretary Alicia Fitzpatrick said Saman helped translate for the club’s other Yazidi players.
“It bridges the gap that we have here regarding families who come here and don’t speak English,” she said.
“Between me, Saman and some of the other boys, we quickly make them feel at home.
“We have moms and dads coming, and their brothers, and everyone wants to play even just a game of pool (at the clubhouse) or run around and just hang out.
“Here, it’s a real family atmosphere.
“I think without Saman and the boys it just wouldn’t be the same – we really love them.“
The brothers are regularly seen on Toowoomba grounds. (ABC South Queensland: Tobi Loftus)
Thousands of people involved
Sam Escobar, Connecting Through Sport coordinator for Multicultural Australia, said program participants ranged from refugee children to migrant women and international students.
“It exists to be their first entry point into a community, and then we kind of help them go from a four-week program to transitioning into a real team,” he said.
“It’s such an important tool to get to know the local culture, the people.“
Mr Escobar said the program stretched across south-east Queensland, from Toowoomba to the Gold Coast and on to Caboolture.
“We work with AFL Queensland, Football Queensland, Netball Queensland and RYE Sport, who do tennis,” he said.
“For many (participants), it’s the first time they’ve discovered so many of these sports.
“We did a program in Brisbane with a local school, and that was the first time they were introduced to netball.
“We’ve managed to engage over 6,000 participants in our two years of participating in a four-week program, and then we turn about 20 percent of them into a real team.”
Saman dreams of becoming a professional footballer. (ABC South Queensland: Tobi Loftus)
Looking to the future
For Saman, playing for the club has given him the opportunity to not only make new friends, but also hone his skills, which he hopes will help him realize his dream of becoming a professional footballer.
“It’s an amazing sport, everyone loves it all over the world,” Saman said.
“I like playing there too.
“It brings people together, it makes friends.
“I’m going to try to be a footballer as much as possible.
“And if not, I’ll try to become a police officer or a doctor, something like that.“
