Restoring Hope to Refugees
The Bulldogs celebrated Refugee Week in style yesterday with a showcase of football skills from newly arrived refugees and migrants at Victoria University Whitten Oval.
The seventh annual CALDplay Football Carnival kicked off with 16-a-side women’s game, which was won by the combined team of AMES Footscray, Yarraville Community Centre and Victoria University Sunshine.
With the scores locked on one goal each at half time, the Maribyrnong/Brimbank combination ran away after the break with three straight goals to take the honours by 15 points.
There were equal tenacity and aggression shown by both sides with some strong tackles laid by the women who ranged in age from 18 to 56 years.
The Maribyrnong/Brimbank combined men’s team took out the CALDplay double when they defeated AMES Werribee/St Albans.
Maribyrnong/Brimbank goaled within two minutes of the first bounce and from there they never looked back running out 13 point winners.
Two refugees from Burma’s ethnic minorities were recognised with the male and female best on ground awards.
Both players from Victoria University Sunshine’s Adult Migrant English Program dominated the midfield in their respective games.
Female BOG Janet, who was born in a Karenni Refugee Camp along the Thai/Burma border, also kicked two goals to go alongside her many possessions.
The 23-year-old arrived in Australia in December 2013, leaving behind her parents in Burma to live with her brother in a new country.
The rangy centre/forward transferred her volleyball skills to football for the first time six weeks ago at the first CALDplay training session.
Ceuhmung Bik, from Burma’s Chin ethnic minority group, spent eight years living as a refugee in India after his family fled Burma’s military in the mid 2000’s before settling in Australia six months ago.
The 21-year-old now enjoys his freedom to play sport, learn English and new skills in Australia.
Using his soccer skills, Bik’s gut running through the midfield enabled the Maribyrnong/Brimbank forwards to kick six goals in the CALDplay final.
The CALDplay Football Carnival is the culmination of a six week introductory football program conducted by the Western Bulldogs with AMES, Yarraville Community Centre and Victoria University (Sunshine) at three sites throughout the west (Footscray, St Albans & Werribee).
The event celebrates the achievements of the English-learning students – aged from 18 to 65, males and females hailing from 25 different countries from across the world.
CALDplay Football is supported by Metropolitan Fire Brigade, Victoria Police, CoHealth, Spectrum MRC and SEDA Sunshine.