tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/homeless-world-cup-11068/articlesHomeless World Cup – The Conversation2015-04-24T13:24:17Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/407722015-04-24T13:24:17Z2015-04-24T13:24:17ZManifesto Check: SNP fails to recognise the potential of sport<p>It is worth noting that sport in Scotland, as in Wales, is a devolved function. At the heart of the <a href="http://example.com/">Scottish National Party’s election manifesto</a> is the relationship between the Scottish Parliament and the Westminster Parliament. Sport is only mentioned twice in the 40 page document, dedicating it two sentences in total. And yet there are so many places where it could, and should, have been mentioned.</p>
<p>One of the two things that the SNP argues for in its manifesto is that Scotland should have a greater say in the sports events that are included on the list of sport content which is free to view in Scotland. This is part of a bigger struggle to <a href="http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/mediapolicyproject/2014/11/10/could-scotlands-broadcasting-be-devolved/">move responsibility for broadcasting</a> in Scotland from Westminster to the Scottish parliament. </p>
<p>The manifesto also promises to promote a more active lifestyle through sport. This they should be commended upon, as health remains a <a href="http://www.scotsman.com/news/health/health-inequality-scotland-s-greatest-challenge-1-3586642">significant challenge</a> in Scotland. And we know that running, recreational football and swimming have a particularly <a href="http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2015/01/07/bjsports-2014-093885">positive impact</a> on health.</p>
<h2>Sport’s crucial role</h2>
<p>In comparison to <a href="https://www.partyof.wales/uploads/Plaid_Cymru_2015_Westminster_Manifesto.pdf">Plaid Cymru’s manifesto</a> which specifically states that they will promote sport for all groups, genders, and abilities, the SNP says nothing on sporting inequalities in Scotland. In a specific section on inequality in their manifesto, it mentions only women and the need for <a href="http://www.bbench.co.uk/#!The-Women-5050-campaign-has-the-power-to-change-Scottish-politics/crhk/FD061E17-7651-4D6E-9BE3-4517F0E8B3BC">50:50 quotas</a> on boards, but leaves out other potentially marginalised groups in society. </p>
<p>The manifesto also commits to narrowing the educational attainment gap, but omits to mention the <a href="http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/48/3/265">link between physical activity and educational attainment</a>. And nowhere does the manifesto mention tackling two prominent sources of inequality in participation; namely <a href="http://irs.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/07/05/1012690214541101.abstract">class and geography</a>. Without tackling these issues, there is a real risk of masking the growing polarisation in the consumption of sport between the classes.</p>
<p>The manifesto could also have mentioned that the sport and related industries sector in Scotland accounted for 35,880 jobs, making it <a href="http://www.davidhumeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Inequality-in-Scotland-New-Perspectives-Bell-et-al.pdf">a significant employer</a> in 2013, ahead of civil engineering and the legal profession. The minimum or living wage remains a very important issue for the SNP, yet nothing is forthcoming in the manifesto in relation to sport. Yet, a precedent has been set by Heart of Midlothian, who were the first football club in Scotland and one of the few in the UK to <a href="http://nationalcollective.com/2014/12/11/heart-of-midlothian-introduce-living-wage/">commit to a living wage</a>.</p>
<h2>Lack of acknowledgement</h2>
<p>Perhaps the Minister for Sport and the Minister for International Development should talk to each other, to harness the soft power of sport far beyond Scotland’s shores. Sport for development which only focuses upon development in Scotland and not international development is only a job half done.</p>
<p>In a country that helped to bring the <a href="https://www.homelessworldcup.org/">Homeless World Cup</a> into being, it would be unfortunate to forget the historical link between sport, poverty and social mobility in Scotland and create more pathways.</p>
<p>The SNP also pleas for safer streets and communities, but fails to acknowledge the place of sport in contributing to social cohesion, crime reduction and the conditions necessary to support higher levels of sports participation, especially amongst girls.</p>
<p>On the question of sport and physical activity, Stronger for Scotland fails to reinforce many of the arguments that were seen to be so important to the 53-page long <a href="http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Scotland-s-Sporting-Future-c5f.aspx">McLeish Report</a> into sport in an independent Scotland. In a manifesto that wanted to place such an emphasis on reaching out to communities, there is a silence on the now recognised international role that sport know has in relation to humanitarian aid, peace and conflict resolution. This is indeed worrying, but perhaps these concerns will be addressed ahead of the Scottish elections in 2016.</p>
<p><em>The Conversation’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/manifesto-check-2015">Manifesto Check</a> deploys academic expertise to scrutinise the parties’ plans.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/40772/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Grant Jarvie receives funding from charities and research councils. He currently sits on the board of sportscotland and has provided independent advice on sports policy to governments both within and external to the UK. This article does not reflect the views of the research councils.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Widdop receives funding from charities and research councils. He has previously provided independent advice and consultation services to the Scottish Government on sport and leisure consumption. This article does not reflect the views of the research councils.</span></em></p>The SNP should acknowledge the role sport could have in many of their manifesto pledges.Grant Jarvie, Chair of Sport, The University of EdinburghPaul Widdop, Research Fellow in Cultural and Sport Sociology , Leeds Beckett UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/330952014-10-31T03:27:13Z2014-10-31T03:27:13ZChile won the Homeless World Cup, but the benefits are global<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/63135/original/vq6fxym2-1414555344.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The 2014 HWC Chilean men's team loft the trophy after defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Homeless World Cup</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Chile won both the men’s and women’s Homeless World Cups (<a href="http://www.homelessworldcup.org">HWC</a>) last Sunday, with the men defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina by more than five goals and the women defeating Mexico by a solitary goal in a tense, physical encounter. But those on-pitch results are less significant than the wider HWC goal of using football to address homelessness and marginalisation. </p>
<p>A number of former players returned to the 2014 event, but one particularly stood out. Chilean star striker <a href="http://www.homelessworldcup.org/news/rio-2010-best-player-awards">Camilo Gonzalez</a> was outstanding during the 2010 HWC in Rio de Janeiro, earning a standing ovation when he was named player of the tournament.</p>
<p>The kind of player you wonder about long after the tournament ends, Gonzalez’s post-HWC experience has been both tough and triumphant. Scouted by professional clubs, Gonzalez looked set to realise his dream of becoming a professional footballer – until he sustained a career-ending knee injury. </p>
<p>For someone whose unmitigated goal in life was to play football – so much so that it saw him run away from home aged 14 to pursue this dream when his family wanted him to concentrate on his schooling instead — this was devastating.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/63099/original/8r42ncp7-1414545089.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/63099/original/8r42ncp7-1414545089.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/63099/original/8r42ncp7-1414545089.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/63099/original/8r42ncp7-1414545089.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/63099/original/8r42ncp7-1414545089.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/63099/original/8r42ncp7-1414545089.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/63099/original/8r42ncp7-1414545089.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">2010 HWC player and 2014 HWC referee Camilo Gonzalez.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Danielle Batist</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>He can still play, apparently, but his rehabilitated knee prevents him from being a pro. He considered walking away from football altogether, but even that proved too excruciating. </p>
<p>Instead, he returned to the HWC as a referee — an experience that on one level caused physical pain, but on another enabled him to both participate in the sport he loves and to give back to the event that facilitated a turning point in his life.</p>
<p>While Gonzalez’s story continues across multiple HWC’s, stories of the players experiencing their first — and its significance — also emerged. The baby-faced 18-year-old Dutch goalkeeper, for instance, was just a few months ago almost catatonic through drug addiction. </p>
<p>Now clean, his reaction time has improved so significantly he single-handedly delivered his team a crucial, progression-stage victory by saving not one but three penalties.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/63101/original/ms2y3rxc-1414545461.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/63101/original/ms2y3rxc-1414545461.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/63101/original/ms2y3rxc-1414545461.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/63101/original/ms2y3rxc-1414545461.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/63101/original/ms2y3rxc-1414545461.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/63101/original/ms2y3rxc-1414545461.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/63101/original/ms2y3rxc-1414545461.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The 2014 HWC Chilean women’s team complete their pre-match chant.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Homeless World Cup</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One of the players from the Swedish women’s team was in the early stage grips of multiple sclerosis. She was dizzy the first time she tried playing and her illness continued to hamper her abilities on court. Yet she relished the challenge and the camaraderie.</p>
<p>“It’s the first time I’ve done something I’m not good at,” she told me. “But it doesn’t matter. I just keep coming back.”</p>
<p>This was also the longest she’s stayed clean because football has helped her make new friends away from the drug scene.</p>
<p>“I’ve found my people,” she said to me.</p>
<p>For some of the players, the hardship is extremely recent. One player from Argentina lost his daughter just weeks ago. He attended the event only because his other daughter encouraged him to.</p>
<h2>The run to the final</h2>
<p>Chile was one of the few teams that failed to grasp the it’s-about-more-than-winning-football-matches HWC sentiment, with its well-drilled players adopting a win-at-all-costs approach. But even they softened when they encountered Greece, a team comprising of street paper vendors for whom a weekly kick around is a salve in an otherwise toughly eked out existence. </p>
<p>The Greek players congratulated Chile with every goal they scored. The score was easily double figures to nought at the final whistle, a training exercise for the apparently unmoved Chileans. Yet they did something surprising: they formed a guard of honour for the Greek players to run through leaving the pitch.</p>
<p>One player from Greece told me he was 857 days clean, a figure so large and so significant it demonstrates it’s clearly a front-of-mind struggle and celebration. </p>
<p>The team from Bosnia and Herzegovina beat all odds to make it to the final. Their street soccer program has been running just two years, the players are haunted by war-related trauma, and the team had to beg and scrape money together to get to the tournament at all. Though they never really troubled the Chileans in the match, their underdog status and their quiet playing tenacity earned them the crowd’s respect.</p>
<h2>A celebration of nations</h2>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/63103/original/j4ybggqq-1414545757.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/63103/original/j4ybggqq-1414545757.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=821&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/63103/original/j4ybggqq-1414545757.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=821&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/63103/original/j4ybggqq-1414545757.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=821&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/63103/original/j4ybggqq-1414545757.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1032&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/63103/original/j4ybggqq-1414545757.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1032&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/63103/original/j4ybggqq-1414545757.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1032&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An English player lifts Cambodia’s Langeng Taeng in celebration at the end of their match.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Elaine Livingstone</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One of the Irish goalkeepers danced out his nerves pre-match with a one-man dance party. He’d celebrated his HWC selection with a backflip and cartwheels. The team’s pre-match mantra, which dates back to a previous HWC quip misunderstood, was: “I’m a colossus. Nothing gets by me.” </p>
<p>The Scottish players regularly belted out “I would walk 500 miles” while the Welsh’s hilarious songs included the lyrics “Oh fluffy sheep, oh fluffy sheep are wonderful”.</p>
<p>Ghana had numbers handwritten on their jerseys, an emblazoned reminder of just how limited their resources were and how momentous it was that they made it to the HWC at all.</p>
<p>The Indian women’s team goalkeeper sustained a soft tissue injury to one of her fingers, but had it splinted up and refused to sit out. She grimaced each time the ball hit her gloved hands and occasionally required some cold-spray treatment, but nothing stopped her from blocking shots.</p>
<p>Off the pitch, physiotherapy students came from Denmark and Norway to volunteer their time and gathering expertise treating the players. This was in addition to their studies — it didn’t count as credit for their practical component.</p>
<p>So while statistics bear out the power of the HWC to inspire social change — approximately 80% of participants <a href="https://www.ashoka.org/fellow/mel-young">surveyed</a> said it was a solid foothold out of homelessness — it’s the stories that more effectively convey the HWC’s power.</p>
<hr>
<p><strong><em>Further reading:<br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/homeless-but-not-hopeless-the-other-football-world-cup-27879">Homeless, but not hopeless: the other football World Cup</a><br>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-homeless-world-cup-isnt-immune-to-ebola-fear-mongering-33094">The Homeless World Cup isn’t immune to Ebola fear-mongering</a></em></strong></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/33095/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fiona Crawford has attended and written about six Homeless World Cups (2014 is her seventh), including making images and articles available for use by the HWC and participating nations and players. The Homeless World Cup is also one of her PhD research case studies.</span></em></p>Chile won both the men’s and women’s Homeless World Cups (HWC) last Sunday, with the men defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina by more than five goals and the women defeating Mexico by a solitary goal in a…Fiona Crawford, PhD candidate, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/330942014-10-23T01:55:50Z2014-10-23T01:55:50ZThe Homeless World Cup isn’t immune to Ebola fear-mongering<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/62300/original/x7jdm9ff-1413844573.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Namibian team was tested for Ebola, despite the country being free of the disease.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Fiona Crawford</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Convenience stores in Santiago, Chile, still stock Coca-Cola bottles adorned with 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil branding. It’s a small reminder of the ubiquity and overhang of the world’s largest football event, which played out <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2014/jun/09/brazils-anti-world-cup-street-art-in-pictures">under some controversy</a> on the eastern side of the continent three months ago.</p>
<p>Taking place amid less fanfare and with far, far less budget and branding, the Homeless World Cup (<a href="http://www.homelessworldcup.org/chile2014">HWC</a>) kicked off on the other side of the South American continent on Sunday. </p>
<p>But the competition, which runs until October 26, started on a bit of a sour note, with the Namibian team arriving to a media frenzy after being accused by the Chilean Minister for Health of bringing Ebola into the country – despite Namibia being Ebola-free.</p>
<h2>Team spirit</h2>
<p>A football event for homeless and marginalised people, about which I’ve <a href="https://theconversation.com/homeless-but-not-hopeless-the-other-football-world-cup-27879">written previously</a>, the HWC <a href="http://irs.sagepub.com/content/48/1/3">uses football</a> to help people:</p>
<ul>
<li>reconnect with others</li>
<li>gain fitness and confidence</li>
<li>navigate their way out of poverty.</li>
</ul>
<p>The <a href="http://m.uefa.com/news/2166415/">UEFA-backed</a> HWC was devised as a conference of sorts by street paper journalists and avid football fans Mel Young and Harald Schmied. Its edict is that instead of talking about homeless and marginalised people, the HWC gave them the platform from which they could do the talking themselves.</p>
<p>Now in its 12th iteration, the event also <a href="http://irs.sagepub.com/content/48/1/3">raises awareness</a> about the entwined, multi-faceted and largely misunderstood aspects of homelessness.</p>
<p>There are 42 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams from 30 countries contesting the 2014 HWC, including reigning champions Brazil in the men’s comp and Mexico in the women’s. Unfortunately Australia’s not represented this year, despite Melbourne hosting the HWC in 2008.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VR7YPMl4AFA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Watch the men’s 2013 final here …</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oCDH8_x4FVQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">… and the women’s 2013 final here.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The 2013 Brazil captain, player of the tournament and fan favourite <a href="http://www.flamengo.com.br/flapedia/Darlan_Martins_Benvindo">Darlan Martins</a> is one of the event’s highest profile success stories, having been scouted for a professional contract as a result of his HWC performance. This is all the more remarkable given that Brazil was so short on funds they could only afford to bring the exact number of players to take the pitch – they played the entire tournament without a single substitution.</p>
<p>There are <a href="http://irs.sagepub.com/content/45/1/59.abstract">surveys</a> that show that HWC’s power to re-engage participants in society. More than 90% of players <a href="https://www.ashoka.org/fellow/mel-young">surveyed</a> report a new motivation for life and almost 80% have changed their lives: </p>
<ul>
<li>45% gained full-time employment</li>
<li>43% found steady housing</li>
<li>40% went into full-time study</li>
<li>56% of those who had drug or alcohol dependency issues successfully addressed those problems.</li>
</ul>
<p>In 2008, they <a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/09/in-this-world-cup-the-goal-is-a-better-life">stopped conducting those surveys</a> because the results were so consistent. </p>
<p>Perhaps, then, it’s the stories that emerge from the HWC that best allow us to understand it – and our world – in all its complexity.</p>
<p>When HWC co-founder Mel Young opened the 2014 event in Santiago, Chile, he told the players:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>You are all fantastic. You are standing proud representing your country and I salute you. But you are doing much more than that. You are showing the world how we as human beings should behave.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This year, perhaps more than most, such an event is required as the tales of what the players have experienced to arrive at the HWC beginning to emerge.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/62276/original/v89xpw8k-1413823804.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/62276/original/v89xpw8k-1413823804.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/62276/original/v89xpw8k-1413823804.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/62276/original/v89xpw8k-1413823804.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/62276/original/v89xpw8k-1413823804.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/62276/original/v89xpw8k-1413823804.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/62276/original/v89xpw8k-1413823804.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Norwegian player during the HWC opening parade.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Danielle Batist</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Ignorance and fear</h2>
<p>When the Namibian team landed in Santiago, they were told they needed to remain on the aircraft to undergo Ebola testing. Although Namibia is situated in southern Africa, geographically distant from the West African countries currently under threat from Ebola, and currently free from the disease, the team understood the nervousness and complied with the testing.</p>
<p>Negative Ebola tests returned, the team was allowed to proceed. They thought the worst was over. Instead, a media frenzy awaited them in the arrivals hall. The Minister for Health – that’s minister, not ministry – reportedly tipped off the media that the Namibian HWC was bringing Ebola into Chile. </p>
<p>For many of the Namibian players, it was their first ever trip overseas. They had no idea what to expect. Team coach and manager Bethuel Uirab initially thought the media contingent was there to greet them – a not-unusual occurrence for the HWC.</p>
<p>Instead, the media asked him about – and reported widely on prime-time television – the Namibian team bringing Ebola into the country. (This fear mongering is characteristic of media coverage that business magazine <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3037052/most-creative-people/ebola-deeply-lauching-today-is-the-only-place-you-should-be-getting-ebo">Fast Company says</a> “has swung from inadequate to incoherent”.)</p>
<p>The team was jostled by media, photographed and recorded by them and the general public – people even stood on chairs to catch a glimpse of the apparently Ebola-carrying team. Simultaneously, some members of the crowd hooted at the players as if they were monkeys.</p>
<p>“The world today for many, many people is not a good place,” Young said in his opening speech. “We have to end homelessness and poverty. We have created a cruel world where many people are excluded. This is not sustainable.” </p>
<p>For the Namibian team feeling definitively unwelcome in Chile, the words likely rang particularly true.</p>
<h2>Tenacity and triumph</h2>
<p>While funding is the perpetual plague of all HWC teams, it’s a greater burden on some countries more than others. Cambodia is one said country – an acute irony of which many of us are aware given that Australia’s cogs are in motion to banish their people seeking asylum on our shores. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/62271/original/3j8j44r9-1413823113.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/62271/original/3j8j44r9-1413823113.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/62271/original/3j8j44r9-1413823113.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/62271/original/3j8j44r9-1413823113.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/62271/original/3j8j44r9-1413823113.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/62271/original/3j8j44r9-1413823113.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/62271/original/3j8j44r9-1413823113.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Cambodian team just before their first match.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Fiona Crawford</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The cash-strapped Cambodian team, which is largely funded through the fundraising graft of Melbourne-based Irishman Paraic Grogan (the HWC and the efforts to see it through are nothing but global), could only afford to bring three players to the event. Rather than folding, they’ve come anyway and are using a goalkeeper supplied by the Chilean reserve team to make up the numbers.</p>
<p>That means their three outfield players will have to play every single minute of every single match. This includes 17-year-old Langeng Taeng, whose malnourished formative years spent living on a Cambodian rubbish dump stunted his growth so significantly even the Cambodian passport authorities were convinced he could only be 12 years old, and not 17.</p>
<p>“Everyone is constantly commenting on how small he is,” Grogan told me. “They’re just shocked. I suppose he is the perfect example of what happens when you have malnutrition.”</p>
<p>This no-substitutions issue has hallmarks of Brazil’s 2013 experience, albeit with one difference: Cambodia is not an entrenched footballing nation and the Cambodia team are far, far smaller than the larger, more physical rivals they will encounter. Yet the team will, as Grogan told me, walk when they can no longer run, and crawl when they can no longer walk. </p>
<p>“For us, the most important thing was for us to be here,” Grogan said. “Because for us, we believe the HWC for Cambodia is like the Olympics – you mightn’t ever win a gold, but it’s all about being there. It’s all about taking part.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/33094/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fiona Crawford has attended and written about six Homeless World Cups (2014 is her seventh), including making images and articles available for use by the HWC and participating nations and players. The Homeless World Cup is also one of her PhD research case studies.</span></em></p>Convenience stores in Santiago, Chile, still stock Coca-Cola bottles adorned with 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil branding. It’s a small reminder of the ubiquity and overhang of the world’s largest football…Fiona Crawford, PhD candidate, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/278792014-06-26T20:43:25Z2014-06-26T20:43:25ZHomeless, but not hopeless: the other football World Cup<p>The 2014 <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/world-cup-2014">World Cup</a> in Brazil will come and go by mid-July, and with it leave its lasting impact — good and bad. </p>
<p>But 2014 will also see the annual <a href="http://www.homelessworldcup.org/">Homeless World Cup</a> return to South America, some three months after the rest of the world has packed up and headed home. </p>
<p>This time it will be to Chile, with the Brazilians venturing west to defend their trophy. </p>
<p>Brazil is a byword for grace, colour and invention in the planet’s most popular sport. The nation is synonymous with levels of skill and prowess every footballer and fan strives for. This is evidenced by the fact Brazil is the only country to play in all 20 football World Cups: it has scored the most goals (210) and won the most matches (67). </p>
<p>Its dynamite passion has also earned its footballers the dubious honour of being awarded the most number of red cards (11). </p>
<p>Mired in controversy around the cost it is exacting on its people as part of hosting the 2014 World Cup, Brazil is close to being awarded a red card for its off-pitch plays: <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/br.html">more than 21%</a> of Brazil’s population lives in poverty.</p>
<p>But poverty-related controversy around the World Cup is not a first for Brazil. There were similar issues in 2010, when it hosted the Homeless World Cup.</p>
<h2>Financial and human costs</h2>
<p>At least <a href="http://www.espnfc.com/fifa-world-cup/story/1501475/brazils-world-cup-spending-to-be-investigated">US$13 billion</a> is a significant disbursement for any event, especially so by a nation where the gap between rich and poor is wide – and widening. </p>
<p>Brazilian nationals struggling with poverty and poor and prohibitively expensive education, health and transport infrastructure are taking to the streets to protest such spending <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-27807198">in person</a> and <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2014/jun/09/brazils-anti-world-cup-street-art-in-pictures">in art</a>. The fiscal outlay in question includes building stadiums that will see just a few group-stage games played before essentially being retired.</p>
<p>A tournament for homeless and marginalised people, the Homeless World Cup <a href="http://irs.sagepub.com/content/48/1/3">uses football</a> to help people connect with others, gain fitness and confidence, and navigate their way out of poverty. The event also <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2011.530015">raises awareness</a> about the complex, multi-faceted and often misunderstood aspects of homelessness.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51621/original/s8ftb8xm-1403153770.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51621/original/s8ftb8xm-1403153770.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/51621/original/s8ftb8xm-1403153770.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51621/original/s8ftb8xm-1403153770.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51621/original/s8ftb8xm-1403153770.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51621/original/s8ftb8xm-1403153770.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51621/original/s8ftb8xm-1403153770.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/51621/original/s8ftb8xm-1403153770.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australia’s Street Socceroos and support staff at the 2013 Homeless World Cup in Poznan, Poland.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Danielle Batist</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Despite successfully bidding to host the Homeless World Cup, and being fully aware of the event’s underpinning ethos, the eve of the tournament’s kick off in 2010 saw the Brazilian government <a href="http://www.streetnewsservice.org/news/2010/september/feed-251/brazil-still-in-denial-about-homelessness.aspx">refusing to acknowledge</a> the country had a homeless population.</p>
<p>The favelas (urban slums) were visible from Copacabana Beach, where the event played out. Government representatives even tried to omit the taint of homelessness by renaming the event the “Social World Cup”.</p>
<p>When striker <a href="http://www.flamengo.com.br/flapedia/Darlan_Martins_Benvindo">Darlan Martins</a> donned his nation’s representative kit at the Homeless World Cup in 2013, he encapsulated everything Brazil did and didn’t want publicised.</p>
<p>His ball carrying skills so apt for Pele’s “beautiful game”, he appeared more comfortable with a ball at his feet than without. </p>
<p>Martins was one of four players selected to represent Brazil at the Homeless World Cup in Poznan, Poland — organisers lacked the funding to send the requisite eight. It meant those four players, including Martins, had to play every single minute of every single game; a single injury would have ended their participation. </p>
<p>Yet they succeeded. Winning fans with their understated, steadily heroic efforts, the Brazilians went on to win the tournament on neck-and-neck penalties, with Martins’ penalty shot breaking the deadlock.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VR7YPMl4AFA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p>Martins was named player of the tournament to a standing ovation; the crowd returned his trademark downward fist-pump celebration in homage. He’s since <a href="https://www.facebook.com/homelessworldcup/photos/a.450656464507.242738.95288304507/10152013306784508/?type=1">signed</a> for Brazilian club side Flamengo and may one day represent his country as a professional in the other World Cup.</p>
<h2>Lingering legacies</h2>
<p>While the World Cup captures our hearts and imaginations, it leaves little legitimate legacy on its host nation. </p>
<p>In a scathing (now viral) TV show segment, comedian John Oliver (below) likens football’s governing body FIFA to hair removal wax – when it leaves, it takes everything with it, including things you didn’t know you had.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DlJEt2KU33I?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p>The Homeless World Cup, in contrast, sees the spectacle enhance its substance. Football provides entertainment and the foundation for <a href="http://irs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/45/1/59">lasting social change</a>. </p>
<p>More than <a href="https://www.ashoka.org/fellow/mel-young">90% of participants surveyed</a> report having a new motivation in life and 77% have gone on to change their situation in a practical way: </p>
<ul>
<li>45% of gained full-time employment</li>
<li>43% found stable housing</li>
<li>40% went into full-time education</li>
<li>56% of those who had drug or alcohol dependency issues successfully addressed those problems.</li>
</ul>
<p>It’s the embodiment of the way former Liverpool manager <a href="http://www.shankly.com/article/2418">Bill Shankly</a> saw football and life, “with everyone working for each other, everyone helping each other, and everyone having a share of the rewards”.</p>
<p>With all the attendant issues, although arguably more (and greater) life-changing impact, the Brazilian Homeless World Cup team will hopefully leave a better impression than their nation’s efforts this month.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/27879/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fiona Crawford has attended and written about six Homeless World Cups, including making images and articles available for use by the HWC and participating nations and players. The Homeless World Cup is also one of her PhD research case studies.</span></em></p>The 2014 World Cup in Brazil will come and go by mid-July, and with it leave its lasting impact — good and bad. But 2014 will also see the annual Homeless World Cup return to South America, some three…Fiona Crawford, PhD candidate, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.