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The
flow of Latin Americans to Canada began in 1968. For those of us
who arrived here hoping to build a better future, Canada was a country
of promise and aspiration.
Upon
arrival, however, we faced a number of problems: the unknown language,
the inhospitable climate, the fact that we were immigrants and a
series of difficulties related directly to a new way of life that
differed greatly from the one we had left behind in Latin America.
These problems created an atmosphere of discontent, uncertainty
and fear among us. Inspired by the fragrance of spring, a group
of us from Toronto got together in 1970 at Christie Park and formed
a soccer team. We named the team Sporting Christie because the majority
of its members lived in the neighbourhood.
Playing
on the team soon came to serve as an escape valve for the tensions
and worries which, compounded by the harsh winter of 1970, had left
us feeling sluggish and constricted. The creation of the team also
enabled us to awaken others from their lethargy.
In
fact, our example inspired the formation of other sports, social
and cultural groups in Toronto's Spanish-American community. As
the number of soccer teams in our community grew, efforts were made
to organise a tournament for Latin American soccer teams.
The
Ecuadorian League of Amateur Soccer (LEFA), our community's first
league, was formed thanks to the initiative of Francisco Espinoza,
current vice president of the Metropolitan Toronto Soccer Association,
Oscar Gonzalez, now LEFA's secretary, Jorge Romero, today president
of LEFA, and Manuel Rugel and Olmedo Bohorquez, members of the Metropolitan
Toronto Soccer Association's board of directors.
Officially
registered in 1974, this league was created not only to promote
soccer, butalso
to play a social and cultural role in the Spanish-American community.
One
of its priorities has been to offer counselling to young people.
To the present day, the philosophy of our soccer organisation has
been to utilise sports as an opportunity for individuals to keep
mind and body in excellent condition.
Since
1975 LEFA has held its popular annual soccer tournament - Confraternidad
Grancolombiana.
The
purpose of the tournament is to unite the Spanish-American community
by strengthening fraternal ties within it.
The
tournament championship games are held every May at Earlscourt Park,
and they are accompanied by an elaborate program. First, all participating
teams, their beauty queens and directors, parade around the field.
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The parade is followed
by the singing of Canada's national anthem, and by the official
inauguration of the championship by prominent people from our community.
Our
first championship game, for example, was inaugurated by the Colombian
Consul, Mrs. Margarita Caldas, who stated that the Confraternidad
Grancolombiana was an expression of Simon Bolivar's ideal of uniting
Latin American peoples. Similarly, prominent community members are
chosen to take the athletic oath with all the participants, promising
to respect and abide by the competition's rules.
Next,
a jury selects the best team uniform, and the winning team is awarded
a trophy. Only then do the tournament games begin. Following the
tournament, a beauty contest is held.
Wearing
sashes with the respective club names, the contestants from each
team compete for the title of Miss Confraternidad Grancolombiana,
Miss Sport and Miss Sympathy, and for a variety of prizes.
The
contest concludes with a dance. For the members of LEFA, sports
are the universal form of collective expression. Through our soccer
league we hasten community development and promote a sense of fraternity
among our youths.
List
of teams that participated in the first Confraternidad Grancolombiana
in 1975:
Seleccion
Colombia
Colombia
Centro Gallego
Spain Millonarios de Colombia
Colombia Duran-Independiente
Ecuador Ponderosa del Peru
Peru Rio Amazonas
Ecuador
Chile Lindo
Chile Deportivo Chile
Chile Estrella Roja
Ecuador Pichincha
Ecuador Tungurahua
Ecuador Reynolds
Ecuador Manta
Ecuador
List of teams that participated in the tenth soccer championship,
Confraternidad Grancolombiana, in 1984:
El
Salvador
El Salvador Espanol
Spain
Independiente
Ecuador Medellin
Colombia Guatemala
Guatemala America
Ecuador Atletico Ecuador
Ecuador Jane and Finch
Ecuador Chile 79 "A"
Chile Victoria de Chile
Chile Quetzal
Guatemala Manta
Ecuador Chichicazte
Guatemala
Cuzcatlan
El Salvador Rio Amazonas
Ecuador Christie
Ecuador Seleccion Colombia
Colombia Huracan
Ecuador Aucas
Ecuador
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