We look at how sport is being used to help others by each World Cup 2014 qualifying country.

Group C

Colombia

Coach: Jose Pekerman
Star man: Radamel Falcao
Tournament best: Last 16 1990

A nonprofit organisation using sport: Don Bosco City

Don Bosco City offers children a place to live, study and learn a useful trade to help them integrate successfully into society.  An important part is the sporting program, which provides soccer, basketball, volleyball and chess. These opportunities allow youth to play on a team and make friends, as well as gain a sense of accomplishment.

Greece

Coach: Fernando Santos
Star man: Georgios Samaras
Tournament best: Group stage 1994, 2010

A nonprofit organisation using sport: Therapeutic Riding

Therapeutic Riding is a rehabilitation programme where the horse is the therapeutic medium; it improves the overall health and quality of life of people with physical, mental, or emotive disorders or handicaps.

Ivory Coast

Coach: Sabri Lamouchi
Star man: Yaya Toure
Tournament best: Group stage 2006, 2010

A nonprofit organisation using sport: Didier Drogba Foundation

The Didier Drogba Foundation uses the sporting achievements of its Founder (Didier Drogba!) to help young people in the Ivory Coast have access to basic healthcare and education.

Japan

Coach: Alberto Zaccheroni
Star man: Keisuke Honda
Tournament best: Last 16 2002, 2010

A nonprofit organisation using sport: Hearts of Gold

Hearts of Gold aims “to share hope and courage through sports.”

Since the establishment of Hearts of Gold in 1998, the organisation has held the Angkor Wat Int’l Half Marathon. The entry fee collected is partly spent supporting landmine survivors by making prosthetic limbs, and encouraging sports for the disabled.

Group D

Uruguay

Coach: Oscar Washington Tabarez
Star man: Edinson Cavani
Tournament best: Winners 1930, 1950

A nonprofit organisation using sport: La Muralla Foundation

La Muralla Foundation use rock climbing to help children with disabilities, special needs and children and adolescents at risk from poverty, homelessness, abuse, and abandonment. Their main goal is for the children to lose their social invisibility by positively and gently changing certain habits of conduct, so as to acquire social skills that will help in the process of integration into society, helping them to generate a sense of belonging and respect for institutions and the community where they live.

Costa Rica

Coach: Jorge Luis Pinto
Star man: Bryan Ruiz
Tournament best: Last 16 1990

A nonprofit organisation using sport: Educating Children Foundation

Educating Children Foundation has built a school in a deprived area in San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica. The Lady Gladys school provides a good basic education to children and adolescents who, due to poverty, would not otherwise receive one.

A very important aspect of the work of the Foundation is to educate the parents about the importance of their children obtaining a good education. In many cases, these parents are illiterate and have no understanding of the value of education.

Recently the school received a donation of 75 England football shirts from the Royal Navy, giving the children something special to wear when doing sports at the school.

England

Coach: Roy Hodgson
Star man: Wayne Rooney
Tournament best: Winners 1966

A nonprofit organisation using sport: Street League

Street League work with 16 to 25-year-olds who are not in employment, education and training (NEET). They engage with these young people in a structured football and education ‘Academy’ programme, with two hours in the classroom and two hours on the pitch each day. This intensive eight-week programme develops vital employability skills such as communication, teamwork and goal-setting. It also offers nationally-recognised qualifications

Italy

Coach: Cesare Prandelli
Star man: Mario Balotelli
Tournament best: Winners 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006

A nonprofit organisation using sport: Casa del Sole Onlus

Casa del Sole Onlus is a non profit organisation based in Curtatone (Mantova) that uses activities with horses to help rehabilitate disabled children. The activities offer a way to increase the children’s confidence. The charity has received the support of ‘Star Man’ Mario Balotelli.

Click here to read about Countries in Groups A & B using Sport for Good

Come back tomorrow to read about the countries in Group E & F!