Latvia to be represented in UNITY EURO CUP

Latvian Football Federation (LFF) in cooperation with “Playoff Arena” concludes the team selection for participation in the UNITY EURO CUP tournament for refugees and amateurs, which will take place on June 28 in Frankfurt, Germany. On Tuesday, May 9, a team presentation event took place in the “Playoff Arena” premises.

The tournament is intended for teams consisting of persons with refugee status together with local amateur players – both women and men. Women’s participation in the team is a mandatory condition.

“Sport truly has the power to transform lives. For people who have been forced from their homes because of war, conflict or persecution, sport can not only create a sense of normality and ease their physical and mental well-being, it can help break down barriers and bring communities closer together,” says Yolande Ditewig,

UNHCR’s Deputy Representative in the Nordic and Baltic Countries. “We are very happy to see that Latvia will be represented at this year’s UEFA/UNHCR Unity Cup, and we applaud LFF for engaging and sending a strong message of inclusion and integration of refugees in Latvia.”

The assembly of the Latvian team and free of charge trainings have been going on since March and will continue until June, composing the team that will represent Latvia in the upcoming tournament. Eight places are planned for Ukrainian refugees together with three local players in the team, and in addition, Emīlija Sofija Druviņa, player of the Latvian national women’s team, has also been attached to the team as an ambassador.

“LFF has supported and co-financed various support measures for the people of Ukraine, both in cooperation with “Playoff Arena” and with our clubs, offering free access to football, equipment purchase and other support. Both here and in our daily work, we see that football values unite people, wherever they are. Of course, we hope for a good outcome in the tournament, but training is no less important, as it is an opportunity to be together in a new and less usual environment,” highlights LFF president Vadim Ļašenko.

“This is a great opportunity not only in the context of Latvia, but also in the whole of Europe to prove that football is one of the most powerful tools to talk about peace, unity and new opportunities. This particular project is designed to offer equal opportunities to participate in this beautiful game, because anyone who meets the criteria set by the tournament could attend the training sessions,” says LFF Football social responsibility specialist Alise Pētersone. “This will also be a great opportunity to meet their compatriots, who are currently scattered across different European countries.”

This tournament was introduced last year in cooperation between UEFA and UNHCR to promote the integration of refugees into society. Such competitions demonstrate the power of football to help refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced people integrate into the community, creating an open environment while helping to maintain physical and mental health.

This year, teams from Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine will also participate in the tournament.

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