The Boopy Football Cup (BFC), formerly The Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC), is an extraordinary event in the football world and strives to use sport as a positive vehicle for development.

The idea is simple: bring as many people as possible together, from cities, villages and the most isolated areas of the world, around a single passion, football, all while creating health, education and environmental awareness.

The goal is enormous: start concrete projects in conjunction with these events by researching innovative and adapted solutions that will benefit the concerned communities without creating dependence.

An incredible adventure for an evolving network engaged sports people.

 

A double mission:

- through sport encourage environmental awareness in youth.

- generate funds for concrete projects applicable to everyday life.

 

Who can participate?

- Anyone can join the Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) network! Individuals, schools, clubs, businesses...

How can I participate?

- organize a match, a tournament or a fun activity around football to create environmental awareness and/or collect funds for the Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) projects.

The Eco-Sys Action Football Cup is a productive, integrative and fun vision of football!

Boopy’s football blog


 

Boopy is an orange eco-detective sparrow, mascot of the Eco-Sys Action Foundation, witness of our planet, and friend to all children.

 

He unveils the latest secrets of the Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) and provides an overview of the tournaments.






Boopy and Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) were back in Lewa, Kenya, for the women's tournament which became extremely popular after the success of the first edition last year.  This year, 180 players from 12 schools supported by Lewa, competed in exciting matches while the team from the Lewa Conservancy explained to the athletes and the public the importance of preserving their environment.  After each game, the children were treated to a guided tour of the reserve to appreciate the flora and fauna, as well as discover black rhinos, Grevy's zebras and many other species which inhabit this zone of high biodiversity.  A great moment!  More info here.






“Play for Sawfish,”an exceptional soccer tournament sponsored by Boopy in partnership with Noé Conservation as part of the Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC), took place in Eticoga in Orango National Park in Guinea Bissau.  The basketball player, Joao Togna was the ambassador of this remarkable event promoting sawfish conservation in the Bijagos Archipeligo, its last remaining sanctuary in West Africa.  Boopy and the sawfish even made the news on national television.  The winning team from Missira gave their magnificent trophy to the local team, a finalist.  A friendly  gesture completely in the spirit of the EAFC.




Direction Haiti where soccer goals offered by Boopy were much appreciated by the youth of Jacmel, a city hard hit by the 2010 earthquake.  Boopy and Eco-Sys Action financially support Pompier International's project to build a safe house, run by an exceptional woman named Charlotte, which offers opportunities for sport, education and small scale industry to help young women living alone.  The project is also responsible for reintegrating children from surrounding mountain villages, forgotten since the earthquake, back into the school system.





Two Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) tournaments took place in November and December in Madagascar in partnership with the association MAMITA.  The first in Andasibe, a region of primary forests rich in rare endemic species, starred the chameleon.  The second took place in Vatomandry on the east coast, highlighting local fish as a symbol for awareness of marine biodiversity.  Several tournaments are planned for 2013 in various regions of the island. 





There was celebrating in Lewa, Kenya, one of the world's most important black rhinoceros and Grévy's zebra reserves. The EAFC Boopy Soccer Tournament was a fantastic success.  This inaugural women's football tournament was a unique moment.  A means of expression for the young players, it also brought attention to health and the environment.  Between matches, the participants were able to explore the reserve with a mini bus system put at their disposition.  It is always easier to protect what we know! 




Antananarivo, Madagascar.  This summer “conservation football” and more precisely the chameleon, the chosen mascot, held centre stage.  A series of tournaments organized by MAMITA took place in different districts around the city with the grand finale held on August 26 with help from ECO-SYS ACTION and BOOPY, sponsors of the event in the framework of the ECO-SYS ACTION FOOTBALL CUP.





While preparations continue for EAFC tournaments in Brazil, India, Kenya, China, Madagascar, and Guinea-Bissau, here is a short recap of Madagascar's Turtle Tournament which was held within the framework of the ECO-SYS ACTION FOOTBALL CUP.  Two large tournaments, one in Tananarive and the other in Ifaty, heightened Malagasy awareness, not only during the events, but also through radio and national television networks.  In conjunction with SALAMANDRA NATURE, this was an unforgettable moment for conservation... and for BOOPY!  Don't miss this special report.






On the programme this summer; the Eco-Sys Action Football Cup will once again be held in Kenya in conjunction with the Lion Guardian Games.  The 2011 edition was an outstanding success at the heart of the Maasai community where the organisation LION GUARDIANS employs “guardians” in villages in conflict with lions. A number of felines have been saved while providing economic activity to these recruited mediators.  After stick and spear throwing competitions, the football tournament was much appreciated on Ol Donyo Wuas plain. See Philip J. Briggs' stunning photos.



 

The last ECO-GAMES, organised by SV PLANETE, included football matches at the heart of the tropical forest in the state of Bahia in Brazil and a beach soccer tournament on Itacare Beach.  These two events were sponsored by ECO-SYS ACTION in the context of the ECO-SYS ACTION FOOTBALL CUP (EAFC).  The local population was made aware of the rich local ecosystem and the importance of protecting sea turtles which come to lay their eggs on neighbouring beaches.  To learn more about the links between sport and the environment, Boopy suggests reading “Un Sport Vert pour ma Planète” by Didier Le Henaff, the organiser of the ECO-GAMES; a beautifully illustrated piece of work and a wealth of eco-information.


 

Moon bears had the place of honour at the Eco-Sys Action Football Cup organized by the China Club Football in Beijing. While the ECO-SYS ACTION stand presented many different species in need of conservation(see one of the posters here), that of the Animals Asia Foundation emphasised the protection of this magnificent animal to the almost one thousand children present.  Thousands of Moon bears spend their lives in minuscule cages under horrific conditions so that their bile can be extracted to be used in certain drinks or medicines.

 


 

Presentation of the lion ball for the Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) in Maasai territory: a ball worth roaring for!

 

This prototype lion ball will be the official tournament ball of the Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) in Amboseli, Kenya in Maasai territory, next summer.

 

A simple tournament at the heart of the Maasai communities, totally in the spirit of the EAFC.  Subject to the promise that no lions be killed until the date of the tournament, the Lion Guardians are organizing a football tournament specifically for the Maasai and notably the team of eco-guardians put in place by the Lion Guardians project to limit conflicts with lions.

 

Due to the involvement of the population, the number of lions killed by the Maasai in this magnificent region of Kenya is extremely limited.  The project is an encouraging success for “modern conservation of species,” where local communities are placed at the center of the decision making process in the management of their environment.

 



 

The Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) in Kaw, French Guiana awarded the Jean Roland Prize.

 

This tournament was awarded the Jean Roland prize from the EDF foundation, which each year recognizes an exceptional project created in conjunction with a natural reserve that champions “reconciliation between Man and Nature.”

 

Complete pdf file of the tournament.


 


 

The sea turtle, mascot of the Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) in Brazil.

 

Here in exclusivity, the mascot of this beach soccer tournament that will take place at Itacaré Beach in Brazil next August, in conjunction with the Eco-Games. 

 

The football tournament of the 2011 Eco-Games will be carried out in partnership with the Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC).  Sea turtles, who lay their eggs on neighboring beaches, will be the keynote of this tournament which links the common goals of the EAFC and the Eco-Games with a focus on the protection of marine turtles.  Each year the Eco-Games bring their support to the local economy of this region as well as engaging in numerous other projects.

 

www.Eco-Games.over-blog.com / www.SVPlanete.blogspot.com

 

 


 

 

A wink from Jean-Pierre Papin

 

What an amazing opportunity to meet not only one of the most talented and spectacular players in the football world (54 selections to the French national team, participation in the 1986 World Cup, member of prestigious teams like AC Milan, Marseille, Bordeaux, etc.), but also one with the biggest heart.

 

With his remarkable association www.9decoeur.org, JPP helps hundreds of children suffering from serious brain injury.  A footballer at the service of children!  And I love the photo!

 

 


 

Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) invited to the Pfastatt tournament.

 

FC Pfastatt invited Footvaleurs and the EAFC to their qualification tournament for the Cordial Cup, the first of its type in France.  A stand presenting EAFC projects appeals to the public, including the 400 plus children present.  Nancy, Auxerre, Strasbourg and Bâle are among the 32 teams participating in this tournament in the 11/12 years category.

 

Thanks to the organizers and how wonderful to see my friends the storks again! 

 


 

At the Ifaty tournament in Madagascar, a photo alone can summarize the spirit of the Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC).
An unusual penalty shootout; the spectators form an almost perfect circle around the goal and the players, united by the same emotion on this “football planet”; the fervor mounts, the final will be determined by the final goal; the player will soon approach in the burning hot sand, the ball will fly, too high, too long, he will miss the target; but it is not important, it is the beauty of the sport in a cliché, the victory goes to the tortoises and nature, the weekend, perhaps more.  Today, there are only winners. 

 

Complete pdf file of the tournament.

 

 


 

After Kenya (Cheetah Tournament) and French Guiana (Black Cayman Tournament), it is to Madagascar, treasure of the world's biodiversity, that the Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) headed. After a very successful tournament in the capital city, Antananarivo, Ifaty welcomed the EAFC Sokake Tortoise Cup. Read More

 

 


 

Lakhdar Belloumi completely captivated by the cheetah ball of the Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC).

 

Meeting with a legend.  How exciting to chat with Lakhdar Belloumi, awarded the African Gold Ball in 1981 and considered the best Algerian player of all time.

 

Goalscorer against Germany in the 1982 World Cup in Spain, his talent can be best appreciated by watching:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hskgnoi0cxQ

 

There are a few remaining cheetahs in the Algerian Sahara so we hope that an Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) will be organized in this country with “Master Lakhdar” in the spotlight.

 

 


 

Kaw, French Guiana: total success for the first Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) in South America.

 

The second Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) tournament was held in the heart of the magnificent Kaw-Roura Nature Reserve in French Guiana.  The village of Kaw welcomed teams from all over the country for this celebration of biodiversity represented by the Black Caiman, a highly endangered species. 

 

Far from the Guiana Space Center, the habitants of Kaw and those responsible for the reserve have launched a remarkable tournament worthy of this amazingly beautiful, yet equally fragile, area.

 

Complete pdf file of the tournament.

 

 


 

Salama, Kenya: Children and cheetahs, big winners of the first EAFC tournament.

 

The inaugural Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) tournament brought together 10 villages and more than 500 people in Salama, Kenya.  Focused on the cheetah, which is slowly disappearing in this area due to habitat loss and continuing conflicts with farmers, it was a huge popular success. 

 

Through a new and positive way the local population was able to learn how to better understand this feline.  The event brought together Action for Cheetahs in Kenya (ACK) and Eco-Sys Wana Duma (Eco-Sys Action Association in Kenya). 

 

A cycling race was held the day after the tournament with my friends Adeline and Olivier on our way to Cape Town during our Tandafrika adventures.

 

Read more in the complete file of the tournament.

 

 


 

Nairobi, Kenya: the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) supports the Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC).

 

I was passing through Nairobi to present a new sporting event, and finally, The Eco-Sys Action Football Cup, organized by the Eco-Sys Action Foundation received official endorsement by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).  This is a major support for the Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) that aims at raising environmental awareness and gathering funds for sustainable projects around the world through football tournaments organized in Europe, the Middle East, Hong Kong, and developing countries.

 

The UNEP recognized the approach of Eco-Sys Action as being in harmony with its Sport and Environment strategy. 

 

Thanks to Theodore Oben for putting his confidence in a simple sparrow and all the children I I so happily represent. 

 

More info

 

 

 

 
   
 
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