They’re the Special Olympic celebrity 16 athletes from around the globe chosen to join
some of the worlds greatest football legends and celebrities in The Special Olympics Unity
Cup presented by Coca Cola. The feature match played during the World Cup was designed to
show the world that people with intellectual disabilities have some fantastic talents.
The goal – to change attitudes towards the millions of people who live with intellectual
disabilities.
Special Olympics was started in 1962 by Eunice Kennedy-Shriver. Today it represents more
than 3 million athletes across 180 countries.
So I think the future of our movement is to be the world’s greatest movement promoting
human acceptance and universal human value that the world’s ever seen.
27 year old Korean Kwon Bong Chun is one of the 16 Special Olympic athletes selected.
This energetic football fanatic has spent much of his life homeless and living on the
streets. A year ago he turned up at the Mokpo City Hall. When staff realized he had an intellectual
disability then saw him juggle a football they put him in touch with Special Olympics.
Bong Chun has had no formal football coaching, he’s pure talent.
I love the moment when I’m playing with the ball and I also like to shoot a goal and
running on the ground with the ball.
Pancevo north east of Belgrade is home to 20 year old Dejan Radju. This quietly spoken
Serbian spent much of his life in an institution, even today many Serbian children with disabilities
are sent away from their families.
Football was one of the few activities Dejan could enjoy as a child.
In my position I assess others and sometimes I score also.
Hi I’m Matt from Boston, United States.
America’s Matt Millett is a full back. He’s clocked up 26 years playing football. Born
with a bilateral cleft lip and palate he had no speech for much of his childhood and even
now it’s difficult despite 13 major surgeries. When he was a kid people thought that because
he had a disability he couldn’t possibly play sport…. Well think again.
Mexico. A country where football is King. Pedro’s been playing football in the streets
around his home for 25 years but it’s only since joining Special Olympics that Pedro’s
been welcomed on to a team.
It’s the most important thing in his life – just playing soccer and that’s his
only thought in the day.
New Zealander Mark Liggins grew up kicking a football around with his brothers but because
he had an intellectual disability he wasn’t welcomed on to junior teams. The 35 year old
only joined the Special Olympics team six years ago.
I knew I was going to get chosen because I’m pretty fit and got good ball skills.
The 16 Special Olympic athletes have been flown from their homes around the world to
Cape Town, South Africa. The Unity Cup will be played in two days time at the Greenpoint
Stadium. South Africa already has a strong human rights legacy, the country battled racism
calling on the world for support. This time around the rally is for the rights of people
with disabilities, it’s significant that South Africa’s president Jacob Zuma will
play in the match himself.
Soccer being a big kind of sport is an important instrument really to bring this to the society
so I think it was very visionary.
When you look at the history of South Africa and what they’ve gone through and when you
look at the accomplishments that’s been realized in the past 20 years I mean this
is the perfect place to have our first Unity Cup.
During his flight Mark Liggins got tips from football legend Steve Sumner who is one of
the celebrity players in the Unity Cup.
So I’m going to make them and he’s going to score them.
Score the goals – yep.
That’ll be good – he’s young legs!
Sumner was awarded Fifa’s highest honour – the Order of Merit during the 2010 World
Cup.
Brazil!!
Korea’s Bong Chun survived his first plane trip.
The Unity Cup is supported by Coca Cola. The CEO of Coke is on the board of Special Olympics.
The Unity Cup was his idea.
What we’re doing here in South Africa with this Unity Cup again is all about raising
the bar and the awareness in the world and I think when you do raise the awareness it’s
like magic, it kind of permeates across society and across communities.
Guy Ruben represents Special Olympics Cameroon. In his country people with intellectual disabilities
are often hidden away. He’s one of ten children. His father did six years ago and his mother
struggles to support the family. Guy’s never been on a plane before… nor stepped inside
a fancy hotel.
He said he is very glad because he never thought one day he could be in a big hotel like this.
Today he is there, he’s sleeping in a good bed so it’s a very great time for
him.
He would like to play very good and be good in dribbling and passing the ball and of course
he would like to score very fast.