Melbourne City FC is delighted to announce that City in the Community (CITC), its award-winning charity, has partnered with the Islamic College of Sport (ICS) and the Bachar Houli Foundation (BHF), to further promote inclusivity and participation through the power of football.
The Foundation was established in 2013 by former three-time AFL Premiership winner, Bachar Houli, and shares similar values to CITC in regard to nurturing young leaders, community-building, and fostering a sense of belonging through the power of sport. With Australia’s Muslim community at its heart, the Foundation also proudly boasts Australia’s first Muslim Football Academy.
The partnership will see CITC and the BHF partner to deliver the Islamic Schools Cup, and work with Islamic schools across Victoria, building towards a gala day to be held at the City Football Academy (CFA) at Casey Fields. The Club also looks forward to hosting an Iftar Dinner at CFA with the local Muslim community, whilst A-League Men’s defensive star, Samuel Souprayen, will be involved in passing on his knowledge and experience to local young Muslim athletes at the Islamic College of Sport (ICS)
Director of Bachar Houli Foundation, Ali Fahour said: ”This partnership will no doubt enable the BHF & ICS to deeply engage with a wider audience and continue their positive social impact work. To partner with a sporting club such as Melbourne City and to provide our community, students and participants opportunities through a dedicated pathway program is certainly exciting.
Head of Community at Melbourne City, Sunil Menon said: “We are excited about the opportunity to work with the Bachar Houli Foundation and Islamic College of Sport.. Our shared visions of improving young people’s lives through sport and the expertise of both foundations means we can have a tremendous impact on communities across Victoria”.
CITC’s partnership with BHF/ICS will enable the Club to further its ambition of empowering local communities through football. The Club’s community arm recently won the Multicultural Award for Excellence in the category of Sport for its work with multicultural organisations and schools with large multicultural communities in 2023.
