Fresh from the excitement of helping stage the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Wellington is to host New Zealand's first ever national ethnic football festival next weekend. [Saturday 29th - Sunday 30th November].
The New Zealand Communities Football Cup (NZCFC) is the new national tournament for the winners of ethnic or multi-cultural regional football tournaments around the country. It is sponsored by New Zealand Police to celebrate diversity and enhance relationships between communities.
The event is co-hosted by New Zealand Police and Wellington City Council. It features winning teams from Auckland, Hamilton, Nelson, Wellington, Upper Hutt and Christchurch with a diverse range of players including those from Somalia, Bavaria, Italy, Fiji and Poland.
Regional ethnic football events have been held by local councils and ethnic organisations for some years - the first one in Hamilton, according to organiser Kefeng Chu, NZ Police Ethnic Strategic Adviser.
"Many local police have supported these events as a way to actively engage with diverse ethnic communities - it is also an opportunity to promote police as a career choice and get safety information into different communities. It also promises to be a weekend of fun for everyone"
Police Commissioner Howard Broad opens the event at Rongotai College, Lyall Bay, at 10.00am on Saturday with three rounds of matches played that day. The play-offs and final take place on Sunday. The second day also features a Police dogs demonstration and an all-stars versus Police match. On both days Blue Light will hold a sausage sizzle.
Wellington City Council Event Coordinator Craig Ireson says, "This is a great opportunity to see the best of the best ethnic and community football teams in New Zealand. The standard promises to be very high. Wellington often calls itself a football city and this is another example of our city's commitment to football and community development through sport."
Information stands will highlight community safety, police recruitment, migrant settlement, New Zealand Fire Service, human rights and Police communications.
Editors note:
Police Commissioner Howard Broad kicks off the two day event at 10.00am, Saturday November 29th, Rongotai College, Coutts St, Kilbirnie, Wellington. Photographs for publication are available from Kefeng Chu at NZ Police.
The New Zealand Communities Football Cup is supported by Wellington Phoenix FC.
Contacts:
NZ Police: Kefeng Chu, Police Ethnic Strategic Adviser, 04 470 7256, kefeng.chu@police.govt.nz
Wellington City Council: Craig Ireson, Events Coordinator, 04 803 8356, craig.ireson@wcc.govt.nz