SATUC organization hosted a press conference on 25th of December to announce the organisation of the first international football championship for orphans.
Sheikha Al-Thani the founder of SATUC organisation based in London announce the details of the event which will be held in Cairo from the 28th of August till the September 3rd for a duration of 5 days.
Sheikha’s message in her press conference Speech
It is my great pleasure to announce that this August SATUC will be hosting a football tournament for disadvantaged children from different nations across the world; it will be held in Egypt in Cairo. The SATUC football cup will be a sporting triumph for the people of Egypt. Already we have Great Britain, Morocco, and the Philippines and of course, Egypt confirmed to play. We are in negotiations with organisations from other nations in order to finalise the number of teams which will compete.
The tournament will see 14-15-year-olds compete against each other in 5 aside games at an indoor venue in Cairo. Yet these will not just be any children. The teams will be comprised of children who have had a difficult start in life. The nature of this kind of social problem obviously varies around the world; the children whom we are looking to comprise the teams might have been orphaned, or suffered from a childhood mired in poverty, or simply come from broken families. Yet it is our belief that their past and where they come from should not define them. Instead, they should be defined by what they are capable of; of how big their dream can be. This tournament is an opportunity for these talented children to leave behind whatever challenges they have had to overcome and to show the true nature of themselves. In turn, it is a chance for the world to see them in a different light; not as victims or sufferers but as remarkable young people who have an extraordinary amount to give.
In each country, we are partnering with a charity or organisation which seeks to help children in some way. These already include 2 Touch Rulz in Britain, the Morocco Children’s Trust and ‘Football for Life’ in the Philippines. It is our intention that revenue raised from ticket sales to the tournament as well as sponsorship will be channelled back into these charities and organisations; to make sure there is a legacy of the SATUC football cup in the nations where teams come from.
This SATUC football cup is an affirmation of our belief in the transformative power of sport. It is in sport’s unique gift that it can overcome so many of the obstacles that life can lay down. In particular, football which has spread from the playing fields of England to the Slums of Rio and beyond, has the power to inspire a generation to dream of something better. Present at the tournament there will be talent spotters hoping to afford these children the chances to further progress in the field of semi-professional and professional football; we hope that the journey for some of them will not stop at the tournament but that other opportunity will open up.
This will be a great opportunity for Egypt too. This is Egypt’s chance to show itself as a leader in international diplomacy and the fight against social injustice. In this cradle of civilization it is our hope that a spirit of solidarity and understanding can be forged between the various nationalities and teams which come here. We believe this is important for two reasons: firstly, in a world where violent disputes between countries seem increasingly frequent an understanding between nations amongst the younger generations can only aid our goal of universal respect and peaceful resolution to all conflicts. Secondly, we want it to be understood that the problems of poverty, social injustice and disadvantaged childhoods are problems not just of specific nations but problems of the world. Our sense of obligation and duty does not stop at borders. We must do all we can to absolve our planet of these scourges. This is what SATUC intends to do; we are starting with this football tournament but there will be more projects to come.
I sincerely hope that the Egyptian people will get behind this endeavour and support our mission. There is a lot to be done but we are excited at the prospect of hosting what promises to be a spectacular tournament.