The 2023 International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football (IFCPF) Asia-Oceania Championships are set to kick off on November 4, and SBS will be broadcasting the event from opening day to the final on November 11.
Hosted at the ‘Home of the Matildas’ at La Trobe University in Bundoora, Melbourne, 45 hours of football, both Men’s and Women’s, will be broadcast via SBS On Demand.
Better coverage of the Championships will bring greater visibility for the Pararoos and ParaMatildas, with Football Australia hoping that it can give these players proper representation.
“At the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 we witnessed the transformative power of visibility and representation on the national level,” said Football Australia Head of Inclusion Sarah Walsh in a media release.
“Providing effortless access and increased opportunities to watch the CommBank Pararoos and the CommBank ParaMatildas, and show what is possible through football could be lifechanging for an Australian living with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury or symptoms of stroke.”
SBS said they understand and promote the value of cultural diversity and believe the Asia-Oceania Championships echo this.
Goalkeeper Christian Tsangas spoke at the launch event last week, where he said they want to leave a legacy for future generations.
“We always talk about leaving a legacy and that’s what we want to do, we want to inspire the next generation of kids with cerebral palsy or acquired brain injury to look at us and hopefully they can say to themselves, that’s what I want to do one day, I want to play for the Pararoos or the Paramatildas,” he explained.
“That’s our aim, to leave a legacy and hopefully that can happen and we can encourage a better future for football in Australia.”
The 26-year-old previously played for Victoria and caught the eye of the national team years ago.
The Pararoos and ParaMatildas will both feature on opening day, with the men beginning their campaign against Thailand at 5.15pm AEDT and the women facing Japan at 3pm AEDT.
Match Day 4, November 7 will be a rest day for the men’s games.
Finals kick on November 10 with the Women’s Final, followed by the Men’s Final on November 11.
Tickets for the Asia-Oceania Championships are available on Ticketek.
For the full schedule, visit this link.
