Courtesy: The Jakarta Post


Orphans enjoy chance to play indoor futsal

Hendra stood firm in defense with sweat running down his bald head in the last minute of the final match between his team, Muhammadiyah Orphanage, and the Kampong Melayu Orphanage.

As the opponent attacked, he slid on the synthetic futsal field to tackle the ball. The contest was tight the whole way, with the score drawn level, until finally the referee blew the whistle and the match was over. Muhammadiyah was closely defeated four to two in the challenging match.

Hendra said he was impressed with the field because he usually played futsal in the foster home's yard, which was made out of cement.

"The field is awesome, I can slide on this field, making the game more fun and competitive," the ninth grader said.

Dozens of underprivileged kids from across the city competed in the Pelangi Futsal Tournament at Grand Futsal indoor court in Kuningan, South Jakarta on Saturday.

The event, sponsored by the Indonesian-American Friendship Association (PPIA) and the American Chamber of Commerce, saw seven teams from orphanages and the winning team at the Special Olympics compete in the tournament. The teams are from the orphanages Kampong Melayu, Nusantara Foundation, Chairun Nissa, Desa Putera, An-Najah, Assurur, Muhammadiyah and the Special Olympics Team of Indonesia (SOINA).

"We brought in children from educational foundations that would not normally have access to a nice field," said James Filgo, Second Deputy of the Association.

Cameron Hume, the United States Ambassador for Indonesia, attended the final game and awarded trophies to the children. He said the event was about more than just Indonesian-American friendship.

"It's really about young people having pride and friends doing things together, those are the values we share," Hume said.

Filgo said the kids were very motivated and enjoyed playing the game and the opportunity to play on a nice field instead of on the streets and parking areas.

Earlier that day, the Muhammadiyah team played against the Special Olympics Team in a match that ended 10 to nil for the Muhammadiyah team.

Michael, from the Special Olympics team, said he was nervous before the match but they did their best.

"At first I was nervous, but I found the courage to play because I love football so much," he said.

He said he also wished to demonstrate how mentally challenged people can also have a "champion mentality". He said his team often participated in futsal competitions against other people with disabilities.

Hendra, their opponent in the preliminary round, said that his team did not underestimate the Special Olympics team.

"Although they lacked a little technique, they are courageous and fought for possession every step of the way. I think this would have been good experience for them," he said.

Cameron Hume said it is important for everyone to get involved in activities that are physical and active.

"We're all different but at a fundamental level we're equal, and that getting beyond passively watching things by participating is important for a sense of who we are," he added. (fmb)








Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com