Bangkok, Thailand :: A youth football event brought together more than 60 children from diverse cultures; building confidence, respect and community through play.
“Years ago, someone invited me to play football,” said coach Nee. “It changed my life. Now I use football to teach discipline, teamwork and respect.” Nee leads a social sports project near Bangkok, Thailand, and partnered with Doulos Hope during her recent visit, as crew joined the local initiatives.
At a youth football event in Sathorn, Thailand, more than 60 players aged nine to 15 came together. “They all love to come,” Nee noted. “It is really mixed, different cultures, different nationalities playing together.”
Nee explained, “When they learn to play as a team, they learn to respect each other. That is what matters.”
Crewmember Tinsae (Ethiopia), shared his impression. “Honestly, I have never been passionate about football,” he admitted with a smile. “But seeing how it connects kids from different walks of life, it was inspiring.” He added, “I kept saying, ‘Go, go, you can do it!’ And you could see their confidence grow.” Reflecting on the day, he said, “For me, it was healing. I had a tough experience with football as a child, but this time it was amazing. It reminded me how sports can share hope.”
Near Bangkok, crewmember Elena (Canada) and her team joined a local basketball session and saw the same sense of connection. “Even with a language barrier, we connected through laughter and the game,” she said. “The kids really appreciated having more people to play with …they valued it and we had so much fun too.”
A shared game opens doors that words often can’t. Passing the ball and sharing laughter makes differences fade and friendships grow.
As Nee summed it up, “Football gave me a future. Now I want to give that same opportunity to others.”
Elena reflected on what stood out to her most. “It was simple, but meaningful. Just showing up and playing together made a difference.”
If you’d like to join GBA Ships in building bridges through sports and other shared experiences, you can discover how you can partner with the organisation today, to help create opportunities that unite communities and inspire hope. For more, click here.