Football brings cross-cultural understanding and unity to Hamilton
Bold Brazilian-style drummers led the opening parade of the 26th Ethnic Football Festival, held at Gower Park over the weekend.
Sambatron, a Brazilian-style musical group set a lively mood, despite the overcast day, as 24 teams of various ethnicities followed with flags fluttering. Stilt walkers from Free Lunch Theatre added to the celebratory flavour and excitement.
As the colourful teams marched into the official opening area, the sound ramped up with spectators’ cheers and more drumming, this time from HAMCIA, the Hamilton Cook Island Association drum group.
Mayor Tim Macindoe opened the tournament and welcomed players and spectators with greetings in various languages, saying it was a “celebration of all cultures with 170 different ethnicities taking part.”
He then opened the festival officially with MC Landy Tyrell Nonoa.
Macindoe said later “it is a beautiful celebration, and the only one of its kind in Aotearoa.”
Players came to the tournament from around the region, and beyond. Erik Pradenas captain of the Patagonia team, representing Latin America is originally from Chile, he operates a food truck called Taco’s Land in Queenstown.
He said, “it’s not about the countries, it is more about cross-cultural understanding.”
Tomasi Armitage of the Waikato Dragons, representing China said the festival “brings people together from different cultures and they unite, through the game of football.”
Armitage’s father is NZ European, his mother is Tongan and his roots are in Tauranga. He currently lives in Hamilton studying law and business, at the University of Waikato.
Zabir Azizi a Somali Stars fan and longtime festival supporter said the event, “is great because it takes your mind away from your day-to-day worries, and it brings you into the present for a while.”
Organiser Kate Moore had been concerned about the weather, but the weather and the football turned out fine.
Overall Shield Winners were the Three Lions with runners-Up, the Somali Stars.
The plate winners were Waikato Dragons with runners up, the Assyrian Stars.
