A World to Win team plays at Ctrl.Alt.Strike alternative World Cup
Nine teams took part, starting off in two leagues. The AWTW team had never played together and had a sticky start, a challenging middle, but by the end were beginning to look like a team. The heat was ferocious and people's trainers were burning on to the astroturf at Powerleague, Mill Hill.
Back Row: Sheldon Noel, Brendan Walkes, Jan Gok (Captain)
Front Row: Frances Munro, Sylvester Smart (Manager), Joel Smart
The aim of the events in different parts of the country was to raise awareness about development issues affecting people in South Africa, issues such as:
- as many as 40,000 women could enter South Africa to work as prostitutes during this year's football World Cup, officials have warned
- at 140 rand (£12.40), even the cheapest tickets for group games are beyond the reach of many people in a country where the average monthly wage is estimated at just over 2,700 rand and tickets for a Premier League match typically costs 20 rand. Among the black population, who make up by far the majority at matches, the monthly average wage is 1,620 rand
- South Africa has 5.7 million people – or 12% of the total population - infected with HIV according to official figure
The Ctrl. Alt. Strike. event focussed on tax avoidance by the global corporations, with postcards handed out for participants to send to the big tax accountants, such as Ernst & Young, KPMG, Price Waterhouse and Deloitte's.
A World to Win's team wore shirts with the slogan - Fight the Cuts, Build People's Assemblies and the team talk focused not only on tactics for five-a-side but for halting the attacks on young people's education, jobs and future.
Jan Gok, team captain, said it was a great day out for a worthwhile cause. As well as leading the team, Jan is reading the Manifesto of Revolutionary Solutions and plans are being made for further events involving young people in the campaign for People's Assemblies.
27 June 2010
