From Burma to Atlanta:
 

Photos of resettlement of refugee families from Burma

Resettlement: Arrival | Orientation | Casework | Children | Volunteers   Events: Karen New Year | Chin Festivals | Burmese Thingyan | Karenni deeku

Culture: Food | Craft & Clothing | Tradition & History | Worship | Sports | Sharing    Stories: Nuag Reh, a Karenni elder
Sports

 

 

 

Soccer is the sport for most everyone from Burma. The Karen, Chin, and other Burmese refugees of Atlanta have begun organizing frequent community wide soccer tournaments.  These multi-weekend matches of soccer and other sports are an important community building experience and fun time for all that coincide with various festivals.  Also quite popular is volleyball which also figures prominently in the community games.  Less played but more unique to Asia is the kickball game called chinlone

  Check out video of a soccer game on  youtube  

The February 2010 soccer tournament fell in the middle of a surprise snowfall in Atlanta making for an interesting experience for the players. From soccer straight to volleyball, the teams enjoy it all and play seriously hard. Ready to play hard but bound to have fun, these refugees live and breathe for the chance to play soccer. The first games in 2008 were a great chance for them to do so. The second set of soccer tournament games in 2009 between the Chin, Karen, and Burmese of Atlanta made for good community building.  The matches of the Burmese refugee community are quite organized with uniforms and big trophies for the winners. ...but it quickly became a mudpit! The second most popular sport among the Burmese is volleyball and they have started to include it in their community games. All the community comes out to watch the games and spend time cheering on their favorite teams. After a heavy snowfall, the soccer field started out quite pretty... A rattan ball used in the kickball game called chinlone in Burmese though more widely known as a competitive sport sepak takraw across Asia.