Ugandan women delighted to win FIFPRO Fair Play award
Raymond Beaard from FIFPRO with the winning Ugandan Women team at today’s FIFPRO Fair Play Award in Oslo
Fair play shows in many different ways at the Homeless World Cup. The Ugandan women team showed it by playing strongly, but also considering their opponents. It earned them the FIFPRO Award of the day.
“We have a very strong Uganda team here”, event presenter Kasali Casal told the crowd. “The Austria team is also strong, but Uganda were very, very strong. During the match, you let everybody enjoy their game. You were courteous to your opponents, showing your football skills and letting everyone have a good time.”
Raymond Beaard of FIFPRO was on site to present the team with their “truly deserved” award. Kasali Casal agreed, and added: “We’re going to dance together later!”
Ugandan team manager Lorna Letasi said the team almost could not believe it when they were told they had won the Fair Play Award. “We did not expect it, but we felt encouraged and very proud.”
Beyond football, the whole experience of attending the Homeless World Cup in Oslo has been fantastic and overwhelming at the same time, Letasi said. “For many players, it is the first time outside of Uganda. The first time on a plane, the first time in an international event. The weather alone is so different and we are still adjusting to that. And the transport, we got lost on the train and that was great because we saw new parts of the city!”
The best part though, has been to meet “the whole world in one place”, Letasi said. “We had some former Ugandan players talk to the team beforehand, to explain what they experienced in Seoul last year. But still, it could not have prepared us for all this.”
Words by Danielle Batist | Photos by Donnie Nicholson