The UK's Cestria Girls and Ghana's Right to Dream Boys win the MTG United for Peace Cup 2010

After two days of competition in Oslo (Norway), the tournament has produced the winners of the MTG United for Peace Cup 2010. Cestria Girls (from the UK) and Right to Dream (from Ghana)for the boys finally hold the trophy, beating the other 10 participating teams.

Saturday 9 October was the climax of this event which has built bridges between kids from different backgrounds and opened them to other cultures. All the participants discovered Oslo during the traditional Peace Walk around the city, which celebrated the 2010 Nobel Peace Laureate, guided by Jan Åge Fjørtoft, chairman of MTG United for Peace.

The rest of the day was of course dedicated to the common passion of all the kids: football. The 12 teams attended the final, supporting their new friends.
Cestria Girls (from the UK) won with a score of 3-1 against Team Romerike (from Norway). “The key of our success is probably a combination of passion for football, extremely hard work, training and supporting each other. I will remember from this weekend of course the victory but also the new friends I have made, such as teams from Ghana and Hungary”, explains Lauren Jordinson, the centreback player.
And Right to Dream (from Ghana) finally came out on top for the boys after an exciting game against Nõmme United '97 from Estonia (1-0). The scorer of the winning goal, Richard Donkor, asserts “I feel grateful and excited about winning this tournament, as a team to hold this cup. The tournament was fantastic to meet new friends from other cultures, to express ourselves and to try to speak in other languages. Thanks a lot for that!”
And as two teams composed of one player of each nationality met in the mixed final, all countries had the opportunity to be represented in the final stages of the competition.The mixed final offered one more opportunity for the kids to spend time together, overtaking language or cultural barriers thanks to the medium of football, with a great spirit of tolerance and friendship.
The tournament was closed by a Celebrity Charity Game. Peace Ambassadors (among them Regi Blinker, Jimmy Carter, Ken Monkou and Quinton Fortune) played against a Lilleström all star team, much to the enjoyment of the 130 kids. The half time of this game was an emotional moment as all the kids paraded on the pitch behind their national flag – a great memory both for the kids, the coach and also all the MTG staff volunteers.
This weekend of discoveries, learning and tolerance will stay as a lifetime memory for the young football players. All the participants leave Norway as winners, proud of their achievements representing their country in the MTG United for Peace Cup.

To see more photos from the MTG United for Peace Cup Final 2010 click here!