Migrants, refugees and local people will help kick-off the biggest cross-cultural football event in Eastern Europe this weekend, with players from over 50 countries joining Etnoliga, a tournament in Warsaw.

Etnoliga is played from this Sunday (19 March) to June 11th with the values of inclusion, diversity and cultural exchange at its heart. The tournament and the series of events around it, is organised by Fundacja dal Wolności (Foundation for Freedom), Fare members that have been working on social integration through sport projects in Poland for 12 years.

Krzysztof Jarymowicz, coordinator of the project said, “We organised our first cross-cultural tournament in 2005 and in 2010 – due to growing interest – we transformed it into a solid league. I believe it is even more important now to have a platform like this for free communication between communities”.

“10 percent of Warsaw citizens are migrants. Last year we saw a lot of hate speech and hate crimes in Poland. And we still have to cope with racism and chauvinism in stadiums” continued Jarymowicz.

Every year at least 250 players take part in the all-inclusive league, in which every team has a minimum of three women players in their squad, and which is played to a set of rules that increase its objectives. Participants are asked to prepare contests, snacks and presentations to share, the scoring system also rewards fair play and extra activities and a scoring system that rewards fair play and extra activities.

Etnoliga has been linked with the inclusion of refugees since the beginning of its creation, when refugees from Chechnya and some African countries were invited to play exhibition matches with students in Poland. The focus remained strong over the years, which has allowed the involvement of hundreds of refugees in the project.

The league is aimed at everyone, with a special focus on refugees, migrants and amateur Polish players who want to support a friendly and multicultural environment.

Participation in the Etnoliga is open to individuals who have an interest in promoting social inclusion, diversity and cultural exchange. You can register for free here.

Follow the events taking place in the coming months here.