Playing for golden opportunities

Running alongside Australia's bid to host the FIFA World Cup is an initiative to enhance football participation for the benefit of Indigenous communities

In a nation known for its love of sport, in Australia the most popular sport for boys aged five to 14 years is football. Surprisingly for many who believe that "down under" is better known for national forms of football or rugby codes, this has been the case for 10 years or more. Enthusiasm has spread even further on the back of the Australian national team's appearance in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Children from central Australia prepare for coaching

Football is also popular with girls in this age group. The number of girls playing the game has grown at a rate of six per cent per year for the past six years - again boosted by the consistently impressive performance of the Australian women's team, which has appeared in every FIFA Women's World Cup so far.

All in all, around one million of Australia's 22 million inhabitants play football. The growth in prominence of the sport in Australian culture comes at a time when the country is bidding for the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022.

Amongst the several thousands of young children who play - and who are no doubt aspiring to be the "Socceroos" of 2018 or 2022 - are many from Australia's Indigenous communities. Engagement in the sport is being driven by the Indigenous Football Development Program - the centrepiece of which is the annual Indigenous Football Festival, held earlier this year in Townsville, home to Robbie Fowler's North Queensland Fury.

The Indigenous Football Development Program aims to increase to five per cent the level of Aboriginal representation in Australian's men's and women's domestic competitions and national teams. At the official launch in February this year with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Football Federation Australia (FFA) chairman Frank Lowy said he felt a responsibility to encourage more indigenous children to play soccer. "Indigenous players from other sports show that sporting success has a very positive effect on the local community and we want football to have the same impact."

The chief executive of FFA, Ben Buckley, says FFA hopes its 10-year plan will help bridge the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. "Above all, we hope that football plays its part in the reconciliation process."

The investment is important for two reasons, he adds. "First and foremost, we believe it's one way in which we can contribute (towards improving) health, education and social outcomes for Indigenous people. "Second, we think there're probably some fantastic athletes among indigenous communities who can fulfil their potential through becoming great players of the game - and hopefully be part of the Australian team that plays at home in the FIFA World Cup in 2018."