Planete Enfants World Peace Cup football tournament is being organised between teams consisting of street children by eight non-governmental organisations (NGO) working for the welfare of children. The winners will receive an official World Cup 2002 football, having signatures of the member of the French National Team participating in the forthcoming World Cup.

This was announced in a press meet organised jointly by Planete Enfants and Saathi on Tuesday here. These two organisations are going to organise a one-day football tournament on 4 May at the Jawalakhel Stadium, from eight in the morning to five in the evening.

“The tournament aims at creating an enjoyable football tournament for children and the organisations who work for their welfare. This will promote a message of peace and children’s rights,” said Lorenzo Negrier, development director of Planete Enfants.

“The official Adidas World Cup football 2002 signed by footballers like Zinedine Zidane, Fabien Barthez, Petit, Trezeguet, Henry has come directly from France just for the event,” states a press release issued by Planete Enfants.

“This tournament will be organised each year and the football will be passed on as a trophy. We hope, in the following years we will have more participating teams,” added Lorenzo.

Planete Enfants is a French NGO based in Nepal, working for the welfare of children. It also works against the trafficking of girls in Nuwakot district. Saathi is another NGO working for the welfare of street children in Kathmandu providing different facilities for street children, including operation of a drop-in-centre.

“Saathi has sponsored a Fair Play Trophy which will be awarded to the team showing true spirit of the game and discipline, along with hard work. This trophy is again a running trophy and will be awarded to the fairest performers every year,” said Pramada Shah, president of Saathi.

Panauti Children Home will play against organising team Planete Enfants & Saathi for the first match, Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN) will play against Saath-Saath, Save the Children UK will play against Bal Mandir and Concern Nepal will play against Voice of Children. Each game will be of forty minutes duration and the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) will manage the preliminary coaching classes for the players before the game begins. On May 5, the participating teams’ officials will play a friendly match.