GSOT celebrates ten years: "Being able to participate and be part of the community means a lot"

The special category Gothia Special Olympics Trophy started ten years ago.

The Gothia Special Olympics Trophy celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. The local team Grunden Bois is excited to play the tournament.
– Hopefully our category will increase with more teams and levels, says the club director Thor Guttormsen.

The Gothia Special Olympics Trophy offers young people with any form of intellectual disability an opportunity to participate in the Gothia Cup. This year the Gothenburg club Grunden Bois won one of the groups in the tournament.
– I really think that the Gothia Cup is a fantastic and big tournament and that it was great fun and exciting to play, says the player Leonardo Josifovski.
He was delighted by the wonderful atmosphere in and around the tournament.
– I thought the atmosphere was great. I was very happy that we won the Gothia Cup. I had a lot of joy, he says.

Grunden Bois won three of their four matches in the tournament. In the final in group 5, they faced Trollenäs IF. It was an even match that Grunden Bois won by 2-1 thanks to two goals from Leonardo Josifovski.
– I equalized in the final and also fought a lot to get the last goal. I had many tears of joy, says the top scorer, who also scored the game winning goal in the match between the teams in the group stage.
Do you want to play the Gothia Cup again next year?
– Yes, it would have been great fun. I would look forward to playing at the next level and against teams from other countries - and to win again, says Leonardo Josifovski.

Gruden Bois club director Thor Guttormsen thinks it's fantastic that they through the Gothia Special Olympics Trophy get to be part of the world's biggest youth football tournament.
– To be able to participate just like everyone else and to be part of the community means a lot. The opening ceremony, the participation, the pride and being a member of the football family... What is extra exciting is to play teams from other countries, which Bois players have not been able to do before, he says and continues:
– Grunden Bois also has a part in the class being started, on the initiative of Kim Källström. It feels good, because we have had that dream for many years before! We hope that our category can continue and also hopefully increase with more teams and levels, says Thor Guttormsen.