MaK has been involved in sport since its inception despite its founders abandoning Manchester United during the 1999 season to lead MaK’s aid convoy. Nevertheless their team went on to win the Treble! A donation of 1,000 footballs was made to MaK by Truce International for distribution in Kosovo. Support and encouragement has been received by both Manchester United and Manchester City Football Clubs. The mayor of Podujeva was greeted warmly at Carrington Training Ground by Sir Alex Ferguson. Leading Kosovar athletes visited Old Trafford.
Sport is central to our children’s summer club. Young children take part in races each day culminating in a traditional sports day. Many of our young volunteers offer football, rounders or cricket coaching. Circular games with a parachute are a real favourite. In 2011 MaK hosted a visit to the Peace Park from World at Play at the end of their Balkans tour, learning about inclusion through sport. In 2013 tennis was introduced to the Summer Club and real potential identified.
Sport is one of the main activities on the Manchester Peace Park, Kosova. Llapi, Besiana and Pristina football clubs all train on the Peace Park. At present volleyball and football are played on an unmarked, unlit field. Runners and footballers train the woods throughout the year and many use the trim trail. We want to create all weather, lit sports pitches and seating. MaK would welcome help with this.
MAK created the Manchester Peace Park Run with Nova International (Great Run) in 2006, now in its seventh year and a major fixture in the Kosovo athletics calendar. Again with Nova International, MaK now provides UK based event management training for its young sports leaders from Kosovo.
Great Manchester Run
25 MAK runners, a MaK water distribution team, a host of MaK friends and Manchester’s finest cutting edge musicians, participate with MaK in the 10K Bupa Great Manchester Run. For our 7th year running in this massive city centre event, MaK was invited to programme its own stage in Spinningfields. 5 hours of eclectic Manchester music was provided between the morning 10K run and the late afternoon sprint by The Travelling Band, Hannah Atkins, The Ambersons, Jo Rose, Rook and the Ravens and Dave Rofe. It was a great day for athletics with the finest distance runner ever, Haile Gebreselassie, holder of 26 world records, taking all the accolades again as he stormed in before 33,000 runners and Usain Bolt setting a new record in the city sprint. MaK has been invited to present a ‘Manchester Stage’ every year since.
The annual Bupa Great Run is a major source of income for MaK’s work in Kosovo. The MaK Running Team can be sponsored here giving the reference RUN and, if desired, a runners name. MaK thletes have also run in the London Marathon and Great North Run.
MaK has received financial support for its diverse projects from the sponsorship of athletics, cycling, rallying and swimming. MaK wants to widen its sports participation.
Please contact us to register to run or swim for MaK or to fundraise for the charity through another sport – we would love to hear from you
