The African Students Association officially opened registration this week for the second Mizzou World Cup Tournament, scheduled to take place April 29-30.
ASA President Patricia Vewenda said this event is targeted at men on and around campus.
“Last semester we held the Miss Africa Pageant,” Vewenda said. “This time we wanted to do something for the guys to get involved in. Of course, girls can join and play in the games, too, but this is something we wanted to do for the guys. It’s their turn.”
The Tournament will be held World Cup-style, starting with a maximum of 16 teams, with knockouts at every round.
“Once you lose, you’re done,” Vewenda said. “The final team standing gets a cash prize.”
Anyone over age 18 is eligible to register for the tournament, Vewenda said.
“This is a big, open event for anyone and everyone,” Vewenda said. “We want to make it a huge event outside of Mizzou.”
Ken Munyeria, a certified futbol referee, helped plan the previous Mizzou World Cup. Munyeria said the hardest part of planning an event like this is figuring out the schedule for the tournament, which will start on Friday afternoon and continue into Saturday.
Munyeria said he hopes this event will be a success and eventually become an annual event because the sport attracts students from all over the world.
There is a way to be a part of the action for students who choose not to play, Vewenda said.
“There will be a barbecue so people can come and eat while they watch,” Vewenda said. “It’s a way for everyone to get together, even those that aren’t playing.”
Nadege Uwase, former ASA President, helped plan the first Mizzou World Cup three years ago. Uwase, who is from Rwanda, said the sport of soccer is a reminder of home, where entire cities would shut down if a game was being played.
“As an international student, I know it is a game that unites us,” Uwase said. “We do not have to speak the same language to play since the sport is universal.”
Vewenda said she believes an open event like this has the ability to connect people and bridge gaps between different backgrounds.
“Most of us (international students) are really far away from home and living in the USA is a huge cultural shock,” Uwase said. “I hope that this will be an opportunity to take us back to the game we played when we were young.”
Uwase said events like these give international students an opportunity to interact with one another.
“Although this is an event put together by the ASA, it is an event for people of all backgrounds: Asians, Americans, Europeans, etc.,” Vewenda said. “Soccer truly is a universal sport celebrated all over the world, so we wanted to use this as an opportunity to bring people together from all parts of the world.”
