Australian team’s appeal for flood victims
By DPA, IANSFriday, January 14, 2011
DOHA - Australia’s national football team used the opportunity of an Asian Cup game Friday to call for donations for victims of the Queensland floods.
The team was given permission by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to warm up for the game against South Korea at the tournament in Qatar in T-shirts with an appeal to donate money for a relief fund.
The white T-shirts said: Australia Flood Relief Appeal - Donate Now on the front and: Donate Now www.qld.gov/au/floods on the back of them.
The players also wore black armbands during the match in commemoration of those who lost their lives. A minute of silence was observed before the kick-off of the Group C game.
At least 19 people were killed by the worst floods in the region for decades.
On Monday forward Tim Cahill, who scored twice in Australia’s opening 4-0 victory against India, donated a prize, including a trip for two people to an Everton game from anywhere in the world, to raise funds for the appeal.
The prize was being auctioned on the Australian e-bay site and by Friday the highest bid for the auction, which ends Jan 21, was 310,000 Australian dollars ($309,000).
