Graz 2003 - Player Quotes
Mark Elliot, Scotland
“I was catapulted into the limelight. I was given superstar status and was being treated as if I was a real football star with people coming up to me in the street and asking for my autograph. I felt seven-foot high.”
Angus Okanume, Homeless World Cup Champion with Austria
“The really great
moments were meeting other players from different nations. It showed me the
many situations people come from and what homelessness looks like around the
world.”
Rory
Levine, USA
“We destroyed the stereotype of the homeless person – we didn’t look homeless, we were proud, we looked smart and the people watching thought we were cool. And we were. We were athletes.”
Yuri Kizmin, Russia
“I was very proud to be selected. I was one of the first people to take part in this event – I was a discoverer and it was important to get acquainted with the players from other countries. I’ll always remember the Swiss team. Those guys certainly knew how to feel and enjoy life. They had a big impact.”
Modesto, Spain
“You just feel such a special person when you go out onto the court. Oh!!! Hundreds of people are shouting nice things at you, demanding that you score a goal. You just feel this huge wave of support for you. Support me – a homeless man who lives in Madrid?”
“There was a universal language – football. And just one spirit: to show the world homeless people are not aliens.”
