THIS year’s draw for the Inverell Mini World Cup took place in Inverell’s Telstra shop yesterday and for organiser Heinrich Haussler it is a sign that the cup is underway and everything is only going to get busier.
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“This week on Friday we will have the German team arriving, on Saturday morning we will have the New Zealanders arriving in Brisbane and on Saturday afternoon we have the national team from Tonga arriving here,” Haussler said.
“That’s the highlight for us. That’s the first real national team to come to the world cup. Hopefully many, many more will follow.”
Haussler said the cup now has a connection with the Reagan Milstein Foundation, which will lobby to help get more teams to enter the cup. The foundation provides world-wide opportunities for less fortunate children to play football by providing them with pre-loved football equipment, such as boots and balls.
“There would be kids and people in the Pacific region who wouldn’t be able to buy a football,” Haussler said.
“It is so great to see what they have done and I always say the little round ball is such a leveller and it is such a communicator and it really does combine nations. We want to be involved with that.”
Haussler welcomed the improvements underway at Cameron Park where there will be four new soccer fields available for future cup matches, but suggested Varley Oval should also be made available.
“I think for the final day we need to make this venue accessible. It looks good and I’m sure the teams would like to play there,” Haussler said.
He said unfortunately Australian rural soccer venues usually lacked facilities such as seating, and Varley Oval would be ideal for a finals match.
Telstra shop manager Wendy Wilks said the cup did a lot for the town.
“I think the business people support it and it’s a really worthy cause,” Mrs Wilks said.
“When there’s kinds out there coming to town and having a go … the biggest thing is watching the kids growing and enjoying themselves and becoming a team player and learning the things in life that we need to know.”