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The Salvation Army in Norway has been using soccer to reach out to different groups for more than 30 years.
The center of Oslo, Norway, came to a standstill as the opening parade of the 2017 Homeless World Cup, hosted by The Salvation Army, got underway.
Flags from all participating nations transformed the main boulevard of Karl Johans Gate into a sea of color as the teams sung and danced their way from Oslo Central Station to the venue for the tournament at Rådhusplassen, the City Hall Square.
Led by the Staff Band of the Norwegian Armed Forces, and rounded off by a Salvation Army massed band, roughly 700 participants passed some of the city’s most recognizable monuments during the parade.
Among the spectators at the opening parade and ceremony were HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Homeless World Cup Founder Mel Young, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Anniken Hauglie, Oslo Mayor Marianne Borgen and Governing Mayor Raymond Johansen, along with Commissioner William Cochrane, Territorial Commander of The Salvation Army’s Norway, Iceland and The Færoes Territory.
On behalf of the tournament’s organizer, Cochrane welcomed everyone to Oslo. The Salvation Army band played and a group of traditional Norwegian dancers performed, before the Crown Princess opened the Homeless World Cup with a memorable kick of the ball, to the delight of the crowd.
The tournament’s first game between the women’s teams of Norway and Chile resulted in a 10–1 defeat for the host nation against the former world champions. The second game, between the men’s teams of Norway and Brazil, ended in a 6–3 victory for the South Americans.
Matches are being live-streamed at homelessworldcup.org. Finals kick off next week.
Compiled from a report by the Norway, Iceland and The Færoes Territory
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