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Football bringing community together after disorder

Mark SimpsonCommunity correspondent, BBC News NI
News imageBBC Nihal Shaji, a man with short, black hair and a thin moustache, smiles at the camera while leaning one arm on a black railing which overlooks a football pitch on a sunny day. He is wearing a light blue football shirt with an orange collar and sleeve edges. A black badge on his top has the abbreviation EMSONI in green lettering, which stands for Ethnic Minority Sports Organisation Northern Ireland.BBC
Nihal Shaji, a 22-year-old footballer, said the competition was about "bringing everyone together"

An international football tournament in Belfast is helping to repair damage done by recent violence in the city.

Players from ethnic minority communities in Northern Ireland, including India, Sudan and Syria, are taking part in the competition.

The annual summer tournament was suspended for three weeks as result of the racist violence which broke out in Belfast earlier this month - but has now resumed.

Nihal Shaji, 22, one of the players representing India, said: "It's great to see that it's back up and running.

"It's about bringing everyone together whether it be Protestant, Catholic, a minority, or any different colour."

He lives in Dundonald, on the outskirts of east Belfast.

He said neighbours reassured his family in the wake of the trouble but he still felt apprehensive.

"It's still weird being out and about, people staring and stuff," he said, but the football tournament has helped restore community confidence.

"It's great to see loads of different minorities come together and share the love for football - this is what Belfast is about," he said.

'Belfast is safe'

News imageA football team lined up in two rows. The front row are kneeling down. They wear blue patterned kits with red collars and red socks. The goalkeeper wears a red kit. They are on a football pitch.
The Sudan team, ready to take part in the tournament

The tournament is called the Northern Ireland Confederation Cup.

The 16-team competition is run by Ethnic Minority Sports Organisation Northern Ireland (EMSONI).

It began on 7 June, but was suspended after disorder broke out a few days later.

Due to the loss of competition time, the format of this year's tournament has been revised, with no group stages and teams advancing directly to the knockout rounds.

It is scheduled to conclude on 25 July.

News imageAdekanmi Abayomi, a man with short, slightly greying dark hair and a matching beard, looks at the camera while standing on a football pitch on a sunny day. He is wearing a black half-zip branded sports top with a EMSONI badge. There are players on the pitch behind him.
EMSONI chief executive Adekanmi Abayomi said community leaders were spoken to before they took the decision to resume the tournament

Adekanmi Abayomi, chief executive of EMSONI, consulted widely before deciding to resume the tournament.

"We felt the pulse (of the city)," he said.

"We've been talking to a lot of community leaders, we've been talking to the teams, we've been speaking with the politicians, with the police.

"And from their reaction, we could realise that, yes, Belfast is safe and it would be good for us to come back."

News imageOsama Almahmoud, a man with a shaved head and a thick brown beard, looks at the camera while standing on a football pitch. He is wearing a beige and brown patterned football top with an orange collar and a black EMSONI badge.
Osama Almahmoud is the captain of the Syria team for the Belfast tournament

The captain of the Syria team, Osama Almahmoud, 36, said that a recent anti-racism rally in Belfast had been a big boost to community confidence.

"We really appreciate it," he said.

"To be honest, it changed everything.

"When you see this big crowd cheering for peace, for being together, it's a big thing."

Other teams taking part in the tournament include Poland, Ghana, Portugal, Zimbabwe and Romania.

The competition has been won for the past two years by Nigeria.