BRAZIL IS COMING!
Posted by Brazil - 19/07/2007
After months of intense preparation the Brazilian street soccer National Team is ready for the Homeless World Cup 2007.
During last May and June a tournment organized by the City of São Paulo involved 32 teams and around 480 homeless people. The tournment was the main laboratory for the team formation. Besides its participation and practice - OCAS achieved the third place -, the coach Pupo observed all the players and invited some of them to reinforce the team.
Besides that, other entities like “Boca de Rua” (INSP member), from Porto Alegre, “Fundação Gol de Letra”, from São Paulo and “Instituto Bola Pra Frente”, from Rio de Janeiro, were also invited to take part in the selection process.
Finally, the team was confirmed with the participation of 3 Ocas” vendors, 3 players from other participating entities in the tournament (one of them considered the best player and other the best goalkicker) and 2 girls from the “Instituto Bola Pra Frente”, from Rio, a recognized entity that supports more than 900 youngs every year and states as its mission “take out children from the streets and the streets from children”.
The selection process for this year is part of the OCAS strategy to launch a Brazilian Street Soccer League, which aims to involve several regions and entities in our effort to promote sports practice as a social integration strategy. The inclusion of women in our team is, as well, part of our strategy to create a wide streetsoccer program, contributing to promote the streetsoccer concept in the country and to make the biggest possible number of marginalized people join the sports programs through partnerships with recognized organizations
The team was officialy presented during celebration of Ocas” anniversary (5 years) – in the occasion the very famous Brazilian singer and composer Seu Jorge, who faced homelessness in the past, received the team before his concert (see picture).
Next steps include a coletive staying in a little farm hotel in the country before the departure to Denmark.
Brazilian team is coming to Copenhagen on the 27th of July and we hope to bring our fairplay and brightness to the newest Homeless World Cup!!!
