British Embassy holds football fest in Zambo

MANILA, Philippines - The British Embassy is holding a series of events dubbed Time Out for Football to celebrate the UN Resolution on the Olympic Truce. The events will be held at the Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex in Zamboanga City.

The Embassy and the Zamboanga City government will jointly host a football clinic today and tomorrow in cooperation with the Zamboanga Football Association with around 100 school children participating.

The roster features kids from different backgrounds, to reflect a mix of different faiths, cultures and ethnicity. The activity supports diversity and inclusion, values at the heart of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

A football invitational tournament, on the other hand, will be held Tuesday featuring 120 players from stakeholders of lasting peace, including representatives from civil society, government and the diplomatic community.

The symbolic match will demonstrate the power of sport and the Olympic spirit as nations across the globe set aside their differences to come together and celebrate humanity and solidarity in London this July.

The UN Resolution on the Olympic Truce was inspired by the ancient ninth Century BC Greek tradition of Ekecheiria (Olympic Truce), which calls for a truce during the Olympic Games to encourage a peaceful environment and ensure safe passage and participation of athletes and relevant persons at the Games, thus mobilizing the youth of the world in support of peace. 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) revived the Truce in 1992 and the first United Nations (UN) General Assembly Resolution was passed.

The United Kingdom sponsored the record-breaking UN Resolution on the Olympic Truce entitled “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal” for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

In an unprecedented show of support, all 193 UN member states co-sponsored the Resolution at the UN in New York, signing up to the ideals of peace and conflict resolution and the premise that individuals, not countries, compete against each other in sport in peaceful competition without the burden of politics, religion, or racism.  In the run-up to the 2012 Games, Olympic Truce events will take place across the globe.  

For confirmation of attendance and/or details, contact Team Ventures (Emmet Penson) 0917 834 7379, (Marilee Estampador) 0917 813 8140, and (Tricia Rana) 0917 565 2129 or log on to http://ukinthephilippines.fco.gov.uk.