On Saturday physically handicapped kids and youth teamed up with leading football players like Alain Sutter and Timo Konietzka for a charity game at the indoor football tournament in Bellikon. The six teams were led by no lesser personalities than Köbi Kuhn, Ottmar Hitzfeld and former FIFA referee Urs Meier.
Team Laureus in Bellikon with Ottmar Hitzfeld
The six football teams, most of whose players are physically disabled, had a helping hand from the professionals on Saturday. Tournament patron and former manager of the Swiss national team Köbi Kuhn joined the current Switzerland manager and Laureus trustee Ottmar Hitzfeld in this project to help promote sport for the physically disabled. The Laureus Foundation Switzerland was supporting the “Football for all” project (FFA) for the first time with this charity game. The joint project was launched a year ago with a view to providing a platform for phyically handicapped sports fans to play football and hone their skills.
Team Laureus makes its debut
Ottmar Hitzfeld coached the newly formed Team Laureus featuring footballers like Alain Sutter and Timo Konietzka, Urs Lehmann, President of the Laureus Foundation Switzerland, former FIFA referee Urs Meier, former handball star Carlos Lima, Laureus Ambassador, Conny Kissling and Michael Brügger, a medallist at the 2010 Paralympics. They met the “Football for all” all-star team with representatives of the FFA partners and two physically handicapped players under coach Köbi Kuhn. Ottmar Hitzfeld was impressed by the atmosphere: “Football knows no bounds – as this tournament proved yet again,” commented Ottmar Hitzfeld. “I’m really excited about this project. It helps to integrate disadvantaged people and bring football fans together.” Other players included people from the school for the physically handicapped in Aarau, paralympians, patients at the Bellikon rehabilitation clinic and Axpo employees.
Strong partners
“Football for all” (FFA) is a joint project of the Swiss Football Association (SFV), the Swiss Football League (SFL), the Swiss Disabled Sports Association (PLUSPORT) and Axpo. The Laureus Foundation Switzerland uses sport as a vehicle to promote social projects and hopes that its involvement in the FFA project will help many more physically disabled people to enjoy football.
