The non-governmental Happy Football Project has selected a team to represent Cambodia in the Homeless World Cup in Melbourne in 2008, which is organized by the European Football Federation, local media said on Wednesday.

"It is about small steps toward big dreams," Paraic Crogan, co-founder of the project, was quoted by English-language newspaper the Cambodian Daily as saying.

The 37-year-old Khun Sokhrin, coach of this group of the homeless, orphaned, or otherwise disadvantaged children, said he was not expecting immediate miracles from all the teams under the project.

Coaches from Inter Milan, current Italian football Serie A champions, have also committed to coming to Cambodia to give workshops to the Happy Football players sometime next year, added Sokhrin.

The Happy Football Project is one of a growing number of projects aimed at building a network of football talents in Cambodia, while providing opportunities to disadvantage children.
 
(Xinhua News Agency July 18, 2007)