On the first weekend of October 2023, a group of footballers who had been looking forward to the game finally welcomed the opening day of the third HOME789 Cikers Cup Summer League.
The weather was beautiful and the temperature was pleasant, making it perfect for outdoor football. To support this competition organised by Future Leaders FC, Mr Jason Yat-Sen Li, MP and Strathfield Mayor – Cr Karen Pensabene both attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.
They expressed their appreciation to Future Leaders Football Club for organising community football activities at Strathfield Park and wished the game a smooth progress. They hoped that everyone could enjoy the game and have great fun playing football.
Finally, Jason Li mentioned that the government would like to form a football team if it has the opportunity, but unfortunately, there is no coach. Mayor Karen immediately volunteered and said, “I can!”. The two witty speeches made the players who were a little nervous relax a lot, and the court was filled with applause and laughter.
The matches in the morning were for the 55-year-old group and the 45-year-old group. Many players have been with the HOME789 Summer League for three years. Including the two years of interruption due to the pandemic, five years have passed. But the players on the court are still as energetic and passionate.
During the competition, everyone remained highly focused and competed with each other, which was exciting. Sometimes the players protested against a certain penalty issued by the referee to gain any opportunity for their team, while sometimes players communicated loudly with their teammates to organise offence and defence.
However, whether they were teammates or rivals, everyone started to laugh, greet each other, and give high-fives to encourage each team after the competition. It was a great time. This is the purpose of organising a community football match – meeting your old friends and building a long-lasting and meaningful friendship. Here, Future Leaders FC is very grateful for the various support provided by the Council. It is hoped that the influence of community football will expand gradually and more people will be given a platform to enjoy a healthy life.
In the afternoon, there were competitions in the open group and the 35-year-old group. The tempo on the court has sped up a lot, the confrontation has become a lot more intense with offence and defence being coordinated smoothly.
The open group also attracted many students who liked football and studied in Australia. The players happily expressed in interviews that they enjoyed the feeling of running around on the court with a group of like-minded people on the weekend. With more young people bringing new blood, the amateur football culture can gradually be continued and passed down from generation to generation.
