Volunteer search begins for women’s 2015 World Cup
Ottawa among five Canadian host cities
The hype surrounding the two largest women’s team sporting events on the planet landed elegantly on Parliament Hill on Tuesday, with volunteers in the spotlight.
By the time organizing teams are set up for the women’s FIFA World Cup 2015 and its dress rehearsal, the Under-20 FIFA World Cup 2014, more than 200 employees will be in place across this country.
They will not be the only vital components for a successful hosting. Canadian Soccer Association general secretary Peter Montopoli, who is also the main man for the FIFA extravaganzas, points out that nothing can succeed without a veritable army of volunteers.
PETER MONTOPOLI General secretary, Canadian Soccer Association
He would not commit to numbers, but 2,500 is probably not out of order, and Montopoli made it clear there would be no trouble attracting candidates. He should know. He was the linchpin last time Canada hosted a soccer World Cup, the men’s U-20s in 2007.
Back then, Montopoli could not hide his delight as a tournament record 1,156,187 fans showed up at stadiums across the country, Ottawa included. In fact, this was the last major sporting event held at Frank Clair Stadium before the south grandstand was closed and later demolished. As the stadium rises again, it will be back in the limelight, this time a host city for 2015.
“The sporting landscape in Canada has changed forever,” Montopoli said in 2007. Clearly he is hoping for more of the same.
On Tuesday, he explained he expected a rush of hopeful candidates. “We will not have a lack of volunteers, but there are all sort of areas where they will be needed, and the most important part is to fit the right volunteers to the right jobs.”
At the media conference Tuesday, both the women’s and the U-20 trophies were on display, sitting under Plexiglas partly for protection, partly because FIFA allows them to be touched only by heads of state, FIFA president Sepp Blatter and the team that wins.
It is all part of the mystique designed to surround FIFA’s top events and it is taken seriously. Montopoli has been tempted, but doesn’t dare break the rules. So he hasn’t touched them. Even those responsible for placing them on display were only allowed to do so while wearing white gloves.
Montopoli hopes to arrange for the trophies to be toured across the country. No doubt the no-touch directive will be in place.
The U-20 finals will be played in Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal and Moncton from Aug. 5 to 24, 2014. Women’s World Cup takes place in Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal and Moncton from June 5 to July 6, 2015.
‘We will not have a lack of volunteers, but there are all sort of areas where they will be needed, and the most important part is to fit the right volunteers to the right jobs.’