Cultures will be kicked, tackled and bended together in a positive way as a football tournament – which aims to bring ethnic communities together via sport – returns to Tauranga today.

The Ethkick five-aside football tournament – hosted by Multicultural Tauranga – is on this Saturday, November 4, from 10am at Blake Park.

Multicultural Tauranga president Premila D’Mello says last year Ethkick was cancelled due to Covid and bad weather – but this year’s event will go ahead rain, hail or shine!

The five-aside football tournament draws teams from a diverse range of cultures and ethnic communities, allowing them to connect on and off the field through their love of football.

“Many of the ethnic communities are crazy about football and playing this sport together fosters unity,” says Premila.

The first Ethkick was held in 2010 and won a New Zealand Diversity award that year, after being “started as a medium to bring ethnic communities together around sports”.

This year’s Tauranga tournament will have 14 teams compete – with players from about 25 countries including from Czech Republic, Solomon Islands, Chinese, Nepalese, Fiji and Kiribati.

Captain of the Czech Republic team, Jindrich Hahn, says his team had their biggest Ethkick success in 2019 when they made it into the national finals. Yet they saw victory pipped in the game’s final moments.

“I ruptured my Achilles in the final game – two minutes before the end of the actual tournament,” says Jindrich.

Tied at zero, the Czech Republic team lost by penalty shoot-out to the Palestinian Panthers.

“We’ll be happy if we’re lucky to get to the finals [held in Wellington] and can win the tournament.”

No matter how they do at this weekend’s tournament, Jindrich says: “What I like about Ethkick is that there’s different nationalities coming together”.

“They’re putting their culture aside and you can see only the passion from each continent. It helps bridge all forms of diversity – whether it be religion, social or language and it promotes social cohesion,” says Premila.

“I believe it’s good for the mind and the soul of people to be playing together and playing the sport,” says Jindrich.

“Especially because we’re living in a very fragile world now, with lots of things happening... so it’s just about putting that voice to the side and just playing, and having good fun.”

Ethkick starts 10am Saturday, November 4, at Blake Park – spectators are welcome to watch the beautiful games for themselves!