Over 60 young Islamic men descended upon the ME Bank Centre, Punt Road Oval last week to meet their football hero, Richmond defender and Multicultural Ambassador, Bachar Houli.

The young, aspiring footballers were taking part in one of Houli’s programs, the Bachar Houli Cup.

The Cup goes beyond providing a platform to play football, by engaging Australia’s diverse communities and building greater social cohesion through sport.

Four Islamic schools - Australian International Academy, Mt. Hira College, Minaret College and Al-Taqwa College - participated in a round robin format, each playing two games each.

In only its second year, the Bachar Houli Cup has already been extended from being a state wide program, to this year being played in four states around Australia.

Of the hundreds of participants in the Bachar Houli Cup, 20 young men will be selected to be part of the Bachar Houli Academy, a five-day intensive training and leadership camp taking place toward the end of September.

The Academy will provide more insight into the training requirements and commitment of an AFL player, with tutorials from Houli, as well as using the elite facilities at the ME Bank Centre.

Houli received more good news recently after the Federal Government announced funding of $156,000 to extend the Bachar Houli Cup and Leadership Program for another year.

Through his programs, Houli currently engages 30 Islamic colleges nationally and more than 5,000 participants annually through his programs, playing an integral role in fostering greater cultural understanding and promoting social inclusion.

“For me, it’s something I’ve always been passionate about - giving back to my own community,” Houli said.

Click here to read the full story, or to find out more about Bachar Houli’s programs, visit his website.