Can Canada become a world soccer power?

NEWS RELEASE

NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF CANADA

************************* New Democrats call for long-term plan for Canadian soccer OTTAWA - New Democrat critic for Sport Glenn Thibeault (Sudbury) congratulated Spain, the new FIFA World Cup Champion today and called for a long-term vision for Canadian soccer.

Spain’s victory has inspired young soccer players the world over, including here in Canada. “One day, I would like to take out my Canadian flag and wear a Canadian jersey to support a Canadian team in the World Cup,” said Thibeault. “It’s time to invest in the most popular sport in the world here at home.” During each World Cup, Canadians proudly display flags and colours from various countries to show support for teams that make it to the finals; many are rooting for their country of origin.

But many Canadians long for a competitive team of our own. “It’s been a fantastic month for the game of soccer,” said Thibeault. “This was the first World Cup on African soil, and the whole continent was caught up in the dream as Ghana made it all the way to the quarter finals, where they were met with heart-breaking defeat. And we witnessed the birth of an all-new world champion. But all of the excitement makes you wonder about Canadian soccer.” Currently there are too many structural, financial, organizational and infrastructure problems preventing a Canadian team from participating in the most important sporting event worldwide.

Thibeault has suggested the following: - Give coaches more training

- Provide better infrastructure

- Improve coordination of competitions

- Invest more in soccer. In 2009, the Canadian Soccer Association received $1.76 million it received in 2008.

By contrast, Australia, with a smaller population, invested more than $4 million in Australia’s soccer federation, including more than $1.3 million for college and university programs. “During the 2010 Winter Olympics, we welcomed the world and performed well. We achieved this by investing more and investing smarter. We can use the same strategy for soccer,” said Thibeault.

“The key to success is setting realistic goals and achieving them. We can’t start dreaming about hosting the World Cup if we have no long-term plans for improving our players and our infrastructure, including stadiums that meet FIFA criteria. We need to invest more now, especially in developing young players,” said Thibeault. *************************