The Kenya Embassy Madrid was among 22 Diplomatic Missions accredited in Spain that participated in the first ever Embassy Cup Tournament held at the SOXNA SOCCER CENTER on the 4th and 5th June 2016 in Madrid.
Other participating countries included Angola, Australia, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, El Salvador, Philippines, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel and Kazakhstan.
The colourful event organized by SOXNA in collaboration with the Spanish Supreme Council of Sports CSD, brought together members of the Diplomatic Corps, Volunteers and Professional Footballers from the participating countries who irrespective of their age and group, competed in good spirits displaying their superb skills, determination and sportsmanship in a unique multi- cultural environment.
Not left out in the tournament were fans who cheered and supported their favourite teams.
The tournament was a resounding success, meeting its objective to strengthen relations between the participating countries, while also creating a new social environment to relate with members of the diplomatic corps and their citizens.
Sports and football in particular due to its popularity and global reach and power to inspire passion and interest among people irrespective of age, gender, culture, or social background, is increasingly becoming a valuable tool in public diplomacy. As former President of South Africa Mr. Nelson Mandela once put it-“Sport has the power to change the world, the power to inspire, the power to unite people in a way that little else can […] It is an instrument for peace”.
The Kenya Embassy Madrid congratulates the winners, Bosnia and Herzegovina Embassy team and all participating Embassy teams and their supporters. The Kenya Embassy also expresses appreciation to the organizers and sponsors for making the event a wonderful experience!
KENYA EMBASSY MADRID
JUNE 2016