Copyright: Hannah Strobl
On 17 September 2022, the Human Rights Cup took place on the KSV pitch in Rustenschacherallee. Around 120 participants braved the wind and weather to set an example for respecting human rights at major sporting events:
The Human Rights Cup, which was organized for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar starting in November, focused on global justice, anti-discrimination and social sustainability.
Invited were mainly people from communities who work on the World Cup construction sites and in households in Qatar, who are affected by homophobia and gender discrimination or whose rights to freedom of expression and freedom of the press are curtailed. The tournament, which promoted values such as solidarity and fair play, consisted of a small-sided soccer and cricket tournament in which teams of 7 players took part, as well as a Mamanet Cachibol hands-on station.
After a brief introduction to the Our Game for Human Rights project, as part of which the tournament was organized, and the distribution of starter bags, Oliver Prudlo and Tauqir Asif kicked off the soccer and cricket tournaments:
For six hours, 11 teams played for the Human Rights Cup, which was awarded to the team that best represented the concept of human rights through fair play and their team structure. In the end, the jury decided to award the Human Rights Cup to Team Adler, who stood out not only because of their low average age, but also because of their diversity.
High-quality matches, a friendly atmosphere and a committed field of participants characterized the entire tournament.
Highlights of the day were not only the goalie workshop with Richard Strebinger, but also the top-class line-up of the cricket tournament, in which teams from Austria’s highest cricket league also took part.
Other highlights included the musical entertainment provided by DJ Katja Schröckenstein, who fired up the players with international beats, and the all-day childcare station.
We would like to thank all players for their participation and invite everyone to stay in touch with us.
We are already looking forward to the 2nd Cup of Human Rights!
The Human Rights Cup is organized by the fairplay initiative at the VIDC in cooperation with the players’ union Vereinigung der Fußballer (VdF), the migrant sports and cultural association NEUER START and the international sports movement Mamanet, and is significantly supported by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).