Refugee children play World Cup soccer tournament in East Timor

Published: 2006-06-15

DILI, East Timor (CNS) -- There was no satellite TV feed of the World Cup for the 13,000 refugees crammed into the Don Bosco center outside Dili, but spectators cheered on Brazil and Portugal all the same. The players wore the shirts of the national clubs, but a bit smaller, since each 20-person team was made of boys in the 10-13 age range, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. Brazil and Portugal were so popular when the teams were drawn up that each had an A and B squad, identified by different color shorts. England, Germany, Italy and Spain rounded out the field. "We are One" was the theme, as Kirsty Sword-Gusmao, East Timor's first lady, told the crowd at the start of the three-day tournament. The friendly competition is good for the children, and it is good to create a strong team, working together, she said.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .