A football that is travelling the world from the UK to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia stopped off in Cambodia, where it formed the centrepiece of a series of educational sessions surrounding gender equality and climate change.

The Ball – football’s equivalent to the Olympic Torch – is nearing the end of its adventure from the site of the world’s first official game of football in 1864 at Battersea Park, London to Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, the site of the kick-off game of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on July 20, 2023.

As it travels around the world, The Ball has been gathering the signatures of people who pledge their support to gender equality and climate action. Since 2002, more than 55,000 people across 55 countries have signed The Ball as it has travelled the globe.

At the end of March, The Ball landed in Cambodia when Spirit of Football ran a two-day workshop at AmCam Exchange American Space in Exchange Square Mall. The workshop was hosted by the U.S. Embassy with participants from partner organisations Indochina Starfish Foundation (ISF), Compost City and Comped.

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During the workshop, Spirit of Football shared its educational methods on sustainability, gender equality and fair play by using football as a sports for development tool.

U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, W. Patrick Murphy, signed The Ball during its journey in Cambodia. He said, “Soccer, the beautiful game, is a fun and creative way to come together and champion global issues that impact all of humanity. We are proud to work with partners like Spirit of Football to combat climate change and encourage Cambodia’s young people, especially to commit to protecting the environment.”

U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, W. Patrick Murphy, signed The Ball during its journey in Cambodia. Kiripost/supplied

Chourp Vicheka, ISF Director, said the organisation was delighted to support The Ball’s sustainability message, having developed and adopted a Zero Single-use Plastic Policy to reduce its environmental impact. This includes providing reusable bottles, plates and bags to students and their families and using sustainable packaging, such as banana and lotus leaves.

“We are also actively educating our communities on the importance of waste management and reducing single-use plastic through awareness-raising activities, posters, and community clean-ups. Our students have taken on the role of advocates for climate action in their own communities, promoting environmentally conscious practices and activities. Together, we are making a positive impact on the future of our planet,” Vicheka said.

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The Ball also attended a training session with ISF in Phnom Penh run by Julia Farr, of the German Bundesliga Football Club Borussia Dortmund. Farr said football is a great tool to champion sustainability and gender equality to the masses.

“Football is a reflection of society. Promoting gender equality and climate action are core elements of the global social and ecological challenges that we actively have to rise up to in order to contribute to a sustainable future. This is the responsibility of everyone, and that includes Borussia Dortmund. We are therefore very proud to be an active part in this initiative,” she added.

After the workshop in Phnom Penh, The Ball headed to Battambang to visit COMPED and SALT’s waste management centre and various social football projects. In Siem Reap, the Spirit of Football team went on to visit Kids Play International before continuing to Thailand.

As it travels around the world, The Ball has been gathering the signatures of people who pledge their support to gender equality and climate action. Kiripost/supplied

The first person to sign The Ball on its 12-month global climate action and advocacy mission was Katie Rood, a professional footballer who plays for Hearts FC and the New Zealand National Team.

She said, "Everyone loves the World Cup, but if we are to be able to continue playing it in the future, we need collective and urgent climate action. The journey of The Ball across land and sea from London to New Zealand is an opportunity for football to get its environmental act in order. I am going to take action. Are you?”

Spirit of Football’s Ambassador and Liverpool F.C. manager Jürgen Klopp is also backing The Ball. “It is a ball for us all. Be part of our team. Everyone can play. Respect your teammates, your opponents and the environment. One Ball, One World,” he said.

The first person to sign The Ball on its 12-month global climate action and advocacy mission was Katie Rood, a professional footballer who plays for Hearts FC and the New Zealand National Team. Kiripost/supplied

What is the Spirit of Football?

Supported by the FIFA Foundation and the Swedish Postcode Foundation, Spirit of Football has developed and tested educational resources with its partners Pledgeball and Football for Future, focusing on sustainability and football from March to December 2022.

It has been using these resources to run workshops in several countries and is rolling them out on a gender equality, sustainability and climate action tour with The Ball this year.

The Ball is being carried – and kicked – by a team of educators from Spirit of Football and its non-profit gender equality partner Equal Playing Field, in collaboration with its football for good network partner Common Goal.

Together, they are delivering workshops and running an advocacy campaign that began in Vietnam in March before heading to Cambodia and making its way across Southeast Asia and into the Pacific in June, eventually reaching New Zealand in July and Australia in August in time for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Before reaching Southeast Asia, The Ball started its journey in the UK before visiting Turkey, and Germany, where German football legend Oliver Bierhoff signed The Ball. Next, it headed to the US and France before taking centre stage in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. It landed in Egypt in time for the UN Climate Action Hub at COP 27 in November.

People met along the way are being asked to make personal pledges regarding gender equality and sustainability.

marissa.carruthers@kiripost.com