FIFA - FOOTBALL’S HIDDEN STORY BRINGS AMPUTEE FOOTBALL TO INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION - October, 2007

Thursday October 25, 2007

An extraordinary series of human stories inspired by football, has researched and filmed the phenomenon of amputee football in Liberia,

“Football’s Hidden Story”, an extraordinary series of human stories inspired by football, has researched and filmed the phenomenon of amputee football in Liberia, through the incredible experiences of Dennis Parker.

Dennis was a beggar with one leg, having lost the other one fighting in Liberia’s 14-year civil war. Today, he is one of Liberia’s best-known celebrities; a one-legged international footballer. Amputee football has been his saviour. He started playing football, began to realise his talent and is now a star for club and country.

The journey he has taken is one of the most moving examples of football’s extraordinary capacity to change lives. The Amputee Football Federation of Liberia is finding counterparts in other African nations where children have been given guns and thrust into the breach of conflict. Some of these nations will take part in the 2007 World Amputee Football Championship, which takes place in Turkey from 11 to 21 November.

Endorsed by FIFA The story of Dennis Parker is but one of a remarkable series of 26 stories, which have been researched and brought to light. “Football's Hidden Story” is endorsed by FIFA and highlights the significance of football in a wider context, as an instrument of hope and inspiration.

FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke said: “We have long known that the football family is the biggest and most inclusive family in the world. Football can be a powerful force for doing good. However, without the help of this series, many of these remarkable stories would not be told. We believe it’s time to tell them and FIFA is happy to help.”

After their release, all stories will be available for viewing on FIFA.com. To get a feeling about this project and to find out more details, please visit the specific section http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/worldwideprograms/hiddenstories/index.html

A remarkable series The “Football’s Hidden Story” series was launched on 20 August 2007.

Other episodes cover the work done in Banda Aceh to help the local team, Club Carlos, recover from the devastation caused by the tsunami, the story of Colombianitos, a project in the slums of Colombia which uses football to help provide children with hope and purpose against a backdrop of violence, drugs and prostitution and a feature on women’s development, titled ‘Health and happiness through football’.

(FIFA)

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