The League of Change official billboard.

As I mentioned in a previous post; I’m a mere supportive onlooker of this community. This time they’re at it again. The League of Change was held again in Bandung, to select Indonesian team for Homeless World Cup (HWC) 2013 in Poland!

Approaching Bawet “soccer field”, which is actually an empty space below Pasupati flyover.

Media exposure, subsequent to their achievement at HWC in Mexico City, has made their reputation reach to a much wider audience, who got inspired as well. Nonetheless, the team stays humble, but still aims for improvement. For, this time, there is also a women team!

The League of Change (LoC) gathered several teams from all over Indonesia, all bearing the stigma as marginalized and/or discriminated groups of society. Through football, their fellowship strengthens, from what I witnessed upon watching the finals of LoC.

The championship was held at a very insignificant venue; an empty, dusty space under a flyover, surrounded by dense urban kampongs, in a district called Bawet (an abbreviation for Bandung Wetan). However simple, this venue holds lots of unbeatable memories of events, such as when the 2012 national team played soccer for 24-hours non-stop as a proof of their vow when their prayer for gathering enough funding to go to HWC in Mexico City was granted. This place contains tears of disappointments and joys, shouts of anger and pride, whispers of sadness and hope. It is Alive with emotions.

The soccer field is determined by four fences with high nets.

It is from this Place that LoC formed, once again, national teams (men and women!) for HWC 2013. Congratulations, good people, for you have achieved what not just anyone can, by having the Courage to accept, the Willingness to excel and the Hard Work to prove it all. Take our hopes and inspirations along, show the world that you’re indeed “greater than trophies, more honorable than any title”!