These refugees came to Canada looking for a lifeline. They found it in a sport that reminds them ‘you’re not alone’
When Adam Assadick Khatir first came to Canada for asylum in 2023, he started looking for a place to play soccer before he thought of school. That speaks to how big soccer is for the young African man. “Everyone plays soccer in Sudan,” said Assadick Khatir, who came as an unaccompanied minor and has since been granted protection in Canada from the war-torn country.
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The global sport has become a community unifier. In Greater Toronto, refugee houses under the auspices of the Ontario Coalition of Service Providers for Refugee Claimants have organized the Refugee Soccer Cup Tournament for the clients they serve from around the world, as well as their staff and supporters.
This year’s games will be held July 19 at the North York Civic Soccer Fields near Bathurst Street and Finch Avenue West, with teams representing eight participating refugee shelters: Sojourn House, Adam House, Matthew House, FCJ Refugee Centre, Christie Refugee Welcome Centre, Centre for Refugee Children, Romero House and Peoples House. They’re free for the public to attend.