Clubs eager for refugees

By Shaun Inguanzo
LOCAL football clubs are opening their doors to young African refugees to offer them a constructive and healthy pastime.
And a senior Sudanese community member facilitating the action between the youths and the clubs believes the height and athleticism of the young men will make them exciting to watch.
Sandown Cobras Football Club is one of the clubs that has written to Amir Mumin, owner of the Taste of Africa restaurant in Walker Street, Dandenong, offering to accept any young Sudanese players as part of the club’s push to expand the game to multicultural communities.
Sandown Cobras president Lew Short said the club had seniors and reserves teams and was looking for players aged 17 and up to sample Australian Rules Football.
He said in the wake of negative media attention given to the Sudanese community, the club wanted to offer a positive and constructive outlet for young Sudanese to engage in.
“We saw it as an opportunity, because they’re big guys and like to play basketball, so we want to offer an avenue (into football) for them,” Mr Short said.
Mr Short said the club was looking for bigger players, and most Sudanese were tall and solid.
The club has this year welcomed several Asian players to its ranks, and Mr Short said there were no problems with the club accepting them.
Mr Mumin said St Johns Old Collegians had also offered to take Sudanese players for its next season.
“I would like to thank the clubs a lot for giving us the opportunity to send the kids there,” he said.
Already he has a list of about 20 Sudanese boys aged between 17 and 24 interested in playing sport.
In addition to football clubs, Mr Mumin said cricket clubs had contacted him with similar offers while Victoria Police was organising a weekly soccer match between local police officers and Sudanese youths.
Local sporting clubs can contact Amir Mumin on 9793 9942.