Steve Sumner to Play in Special Olympics Unity Cup

Steve Sumner to Play in Special Olympics Unity Cup

SPECIAL OLYMPICS NEW ZEALAND ANNOUNCES STEVE SUMNER, FORMER ALL WHITES CAPTAIN AND FIFA ORDER OF MERIT, TO PLAY IN “SPECIAL OLYMPICS UNITY CUP” PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA

Wellington, New Zealand - 1 June 2010 - Former All Whites captain Steve Sumner will join other notable football legends and 16 Special Olympics athletes from around the world in an unprecedented All-Star football match on 3 July in Cape Town before a quarter-final game of the FIFA World Cup championships.

Sumner will return to South Africa to play in the match just two weeks after receiving football’s highest honour. During the FIFA Congress in South Africa on 9 – 10 June, Sumner will receive the FIFA Order of Merit.

Called the Unity Cup, the Special Olympics event will unite celebrities, football legends, and Special Olympics athletes in a match played before thousands of international fans. Through football, the most popular world sport, the Unity Cup will connect people, both on and off the field, by petitioning everyone involved to reject stereotypes, prejudices, and misconceptions and replace them with an attitude of inclusion, acceptance, and diversity.

Representing New Zealand alongside Sumner will be North Harbour Special Olympics centre forward Mark Liggins. Liggins, 36, is one of only 16 players from around the world to be making the trip to Cape Town. Mark began playing football at the age of 10 and has been playing seriously for the past five years. He will be travelling to South Africa with Sumner and his coach, Kevin Hodges.

“By taking place against the backdrop of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Unity Cup will showcase the abilities of Special Olympics athletes on a world stage,” says Mike Ryan Special Olympics New Zealand National Sports and Coaching Director. “It will help promote acceptance for people with intellectual disabilities.”

Special Olympics programmes in countries whose national team qualified for the World Cup were invited to nominate players for the Unity Cup, says Mr Ryan. “Athletes weren’t chosen from all the countries that qualified and we are, of course, absolutely thrilled that one of our footballers will be playing in the match. To have Steve Sumner playing too is just fantastic. When we invited Steve to join Mark on the pitch, he accepted without hesitation. He has such a fantastic attitude about it and didn’t even blink when it meant that he would be hopping back on a flight to Cape Town two weeks after accepting his Order of Merit in Johannesburg.”

“I am humbled and extremely privileged receiving the FIFA Order of Merit when I look at some of the great names who have received this honour in the past,” says Steve Sumner. “But it is also a tremendous privilege to take part in the Unity Cup, too. I’m sure the match itself will be fun but more important to me is being able to help make a difference. Special Olympics is a wonderful organisation that fosters hope, encouragement and acceptance and it deserves great support from all."

The Unity Cup will feature two football teams comprised of seven Special Olympics athletes and seven celebrity partners on each. Along with Sumner, football legends including Clarence Seedorf, Alan Shearer, Lucas Radebe, Abedi Pele, Kevin Keegan, Hidetoshi Nakata, Christian Karembeu, Alex Aguinaga and Teo Cubillas will join South African President Zuma in the game which will be televised around the world.

"This is another milestone for Special Olympics New Zealand,” says Tai Nicholas, General Secretary Oceania Football Confederation. “We not only have Mark Liggins participating, we also have Steve, who is a great ambassador for the game in New Zealand and Oceania. It's fantastic to have somebody with a FIFA Order of Merit involved and, if the game is televised live, it will increase the profile of Special Olympics New Zealand, not only here but also overseas."

Special Olympics New Zealand is in the process of finalising New Zealand broadcast details for the Unity Cup match. The match is the subject of a two-part documentary being produced by Attitude Pictures that will air on 13 June and 27 June on TV1 at 8.30 am. For the documentary, Attitude filmed Mark Liggins and travelled to Korea, Serbia, Mexico and the United States to film athletes who will also play in the Unity Cup. “The goal of the documentary will be to captivate audiences,” says Robyn Scott-Vincent, Attitude Pictures Producer. “The documentary will show the athletes, their countries and their lives. We will show these athletes as superstars, as talented athletes. Yet we also acknowledge their fragility and need for support and understanding.”

About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is an international organisation that changes lives by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities, promoting acceptance for all, and fostering communities of understanding and respect worldwide. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown from a few hundred athletes to more than 3.3 million athletes in over 170 countries in all regions of the world, providing year-round sports training, athletic competition and other related programs. Special Olympics now takes place every day, changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities in places like China and from regions like the Middle East to the community playgrounds and ball fields in every small neighborhood’s backyard. Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy and friendship. In New Zealand, more than 5100 athletes throughout the country train and compete in 14 different Olympic-type summer and winter sports. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org and Special Olympics New Zealand at www.specialolympics.org.nz

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