“We talk about unity, we talk about fair play, we talk about respect, we talk about inclusion. These are all things that The Ball represents. The slogan that we at Special Olympics Nigeria gave to The Ball: “One Ball One World” is born out of the fact that this leather, round item can do so many things in our lives and in the community. The race may differ. The belief may differ. The culture may differ. But with this round leather there is one, there is unity, there is inclusion, there is respect.”
Adeola Oladugba, Special Olympics Nigeria Project Coordinator
During the 2010 journey, The Ball visited schools where thousands of children kicked, headed and signed it and learned about the Spirit of Football. In South Africa, we led workshops for children from 50 different schools across Sub–Saharan Africa. Their success, and the enthusiasm that welcomed The Ball all along each World Cup journey, led us to develop an education programme themed around the phrase “One Ball, One World.”
This typically African call–and–response became a delightful and effective theme of the journey to South Africa. We’d called out “One Ball!” to children at a roadside kick–about in Mozambique, to the Zambian President and his cabinet on the lawn of the State House in Lusaka, or to hundreds of children at schools in Botswana and the unanimous response would be “One World!”.
En route to South Africa, people often asked if we had a spare ball in case we lost the one we were carrying. “No,” we’d reply, “there is only one ball and only one world, and we have to look after both of them.”
Ein Ball, Eine Welt…
Una Pelota, Un Mundo…
Een Ball, Een Wêreld…
Mpira Moja. Dunia Moja…
Bola yimo. Chalo chimoza…
Uma bola. Um mundo…
One Ball, One World.
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Spirit of Football CIC is a not–for–profit community interest company dedicated to promoting a very special ball as the “star of the beautiful game” in the run–up to each World Cup. We call it The Ball.
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