The first day of the PASCH tournament finals in Berlin ended with moving performances from the international delegations, bringing home the message that this event is more than a football tournament.
As the second day began on the PASCH delegations' visit to Berlin, the sun was shining brightly on Berlin's premier sports centre, the "Turngemeinde in Berlin" (TIB). The participants played a range of different football activities and got to know each other better.
The icebreaker activities are an important part of the event, where the primary focus is not on which team has the best footballers but rather on cultural exchange amongst the people taking part.
A warm welcome at the German Federal Foreign Office
The final of the PASCH tournament in Berlin is supported by the Foreign Office as part of the "Sport and Foreign Policy" initiative and includes young people who are German at PASCH schools.
The delegations were all invited to a reception at the Foreign Office on Thursday, where they were given a warm welcome.
"By playing football together, the focus is in particular on the sporting exchange, along with learning social skills. Another of the aims is to give the young people an understanding of the language, culture and history of Germany.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for all of the young people in the PASCH tournament finals and hope there will be a great atmosphere on the pitch," said Stefan Krawielicki, Head of the Division for Schools Abroad, PASCH, Youth and Sport at the German Federal Foreign Office.
A special cultural programme
In the evening, the six teams gave enchanting cultural performances from their home countries at the Hofperle Café in the Neukölln district of Berlin.
The young men and women from streetfootballworld network member AMANDLA EduFootball greeted the other participants and other guests in 8 of South Africa's 12 national languages and sang the South African national anthem together with their delegation leaders.
The team from streetfootballworld network member United Action for Children also captivated the audience with a solo by Orock Eyong and a Cameroonian dance.
Interspersing traditional dance with Bollywood-style breakdancing, the Indian delegation presented a powerful depiction of the contrast between the traditional and the modern in their country, while Football Friends from the Balkans performed a dramatic medley of their countries' Eurovision Song Contest songs.
And as at past events, the PASCH delegations from Israel and the Palestinian areas came with a joint message of peace.
The evening came to a perfect end with the Brazilian delegation inviting all the participants to join in a samba.
The final
The final of the PASCH tournament series will take place on Saturday 25th June at Tempelhofer Feld–Berlin's largest public park–as part of the international STRASSE!KICKT festival for culture and sport. In the true spirit of integration, the teams will be mixed with pupils from Berlin. All of the matches will follow football3 rules.
Translated by Grace Hughes
