Funding for the Amputee World Cup remains a problem for many potential participants so credit must go to the Arsenal Foundation for backing two players named in the England squad.
Arsenal amputee footballers Tony Mills and Helder Silva were selected but told they had to raise £1,500 each to cover the cost of flying out to Mexico for the tournament, which begins on Saturday.
The pair jet off on Wednesday after receiving the money following an appeal to the Arsenal Foundation, having been training with the club’s amputee team at the Arsenal Community Hub for two years.
Tony, who lost his leg playing football 20 years ago, and Helder, who has survived cancer on four occasions, will form part of a strong England team who are among the favourites to win the competition, having lifted this year’s Amp Futbol Cup in Poland and lost only narrowly to Turkey in the European Championships final — a match which attracted a crowd of 42,000. Best of luck to all involved.
