Medtronic Junior Football Cup
Medtronic organise the Junior Football Cup
Three teams of young footballers with type 1 diabetes are celebrating success after representing Great Britain in the fourth annual Diabetes Junior Cup Football Championship in Geneva, Switzerland.
The 24-strong squad - 22 boys and two girls, aged from six to 17 - applied to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to be selected for the event, which is organised by diabetes management specialist Medtronic.
The group travelled to Geneva with a team of supporters including parents, diabetes specialist nurse Claire Pesterfield, and representatives from Medtronic UK and JDRF UK.
Diabetes can't stop you playing football
‘It’s amazing how everyone gelled together straightaway, from the teams on the pitch to the families,’ said Karen Hagreen, whose son Paul, 16, played for the Senior team. For many players and parents, it was the first time they had seen other children with diabetes playing football, and there was plenty of time to swap notes and experiences.
Champions in football... at last!
The GB teams competed against 14 other European countries and the United States in the championship, which pitched teams of different age-groups against each other. The Junior team, aged 11-14, emerged as champions in their division, beating Switzerland, the USA, Italy and France along the way.
The Senior team, aged 15-17, were unlucky beaten finalists in their division, losing to Slovakia after easy wins against Switzerland and Italy. The Kids team, aged six to nine, came fourth in their group, which was won by Spain.
Organised by Medtronic
The Diabetes Junior Cup is organized by Medtronic, a world leader in medical technology for diabetes management, in cooperation with Bayer Health Care Diabetes Care, Eli Lilly, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD), Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), Puma, Pepsi Lipton International, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (HUG), the Philias Foundation and the Theodora Foundation.
Highlights of the weekend included a splendid opening ceremony with dancing, football skills demonstrations and fireworks, and a cruise and barbecue on Lake Geneva. But the biggest surprise was a visit from Olympic hero Sir Steve Redgrave, who spent a day with the teams and gave an inspirational talk. The five-times gold medallist spoke about how he continued his rowing career after being diagnosed with diabetes, and congratulated the GB teams on their achievements.
