Bachar Houli Cup a SANFL Success

SANFL, together with Central District and West Adelaide football clubs, has this week provided more than 120 multicultural students from Islamic schools across Adelaide with an opportunity to play and learn about Australian rules footy in the first Bachar Houli Cup.

The lightning carnival included 14 teams from Pinnacle College, Playford College and Australian Islamic College competing in modified nine-a-side matches at X Convenience Oval, Elizabeth under the guidance of SANFL and Club development coaches.

Named after triple Richmond premiership player and devout Muslim Bachar Houli, the carnival is aimed at providing participation opportunities specifically for boys and girls in Years 5 and 6 and to highlight football pathways from Islamic schools through to SANFL and AFL.

The Bachar Houli Cup is an extension of SANFL’s multicultural programs, which includes the highly successful Welcome to Aussie Rules Football Program for multicultural boys and girls and their families, first launched in 2018.

Students interested in taking up the game after today will be provided with information on how to connect with local community football clubs.

Speaking on SANFL Radio, SANFL Game Development Coordinator Tom Javor said the Bachar Houli Cup and Welcome to Aussie Rules Football Program gave boys and girls from multicultural backgrounds, who might not otherwise know much about football, the chance to be able to learn about the game in a fun environment.

”The Bachar Houli Cup was about more than football,” Mr Javor said.

”It was community, it was connectivity, it was engagement. Every child involved went home with a football and the memories of a day they will never forget. From the notion that some children had never played the game, to knowing that some of these children will end up in talent pathways, the scope of what has been achieved and the foundation that has been laid, is exciting for the future.”

Mr Javor has already begun planning the second Bachar Houli Cup to be played in 2022, which will also include teams from the North Adelaide Zone, as well as Central District and West Adelaide.