Greek team in Poland for Homeless World Cup
Eight Greek amateur soccer players arrived in the Polish city of Poznan on Friday to participate in the 11th Homeless World Cup, which runs from August 11-18 and includes the participation of street soccer teams from 64 countries.
The draw for the tournament lineup is expected to take place Saturday, with the first kickoff scheduled on Sunday.
Aged between 20 and 35, the Greek delegation comprises seven men and one woman from various parts of the country who are currently homeless. The team is backed by the Schedia monthly street magazine and is coached by Sergios Milis and team chief Christos Alefandis, both volunteers.
The aim of the event, which included participations from Australia and Cambodia to Argentina, South Korea and Switzerland, is to raise public awareness about homelessness and to provide support to grassroots soccer programs and social enterprise development through a network of 70 national partners.
The Homeless World Cup began in 2002 on an initiative of the International Network of Street Papers in Cape Town, South Africa. Greece has participated in the event since 2007 with the support of the City of Athens, which provides training facilities.
