THE All Nations Football Tournament held its charity tournament following a break of five years. Established in 2016, the football event unites people from many backgrounds and cultures.
Founded by the three Mahon brothers who have played football since very young, their passion for the game combines with a desire to raise awareness around mental health, especially for men, after they lost a close friend in tragic circumstances in 2016.
To make the Tournament possible the event relies on sponsorship from local businesses. Karl Mahon, founder of the tournament, approached Specsavers New Malden store partners Bhavisha Patel, ophthalmic director, and Karina Peshawaria, retail director, to explore any sponsorship support.
Karina and Bhavisha were delighted to support the event, agreeing to sponsor hire of three Astroturf pitches, plus the Tournament Trophies which included the Winner’s Trophy, Best Player, Top Goal Scorer and Goalkeeper.
Every year the organisers of the tournament select a charity to support, setting up a JustGiving fund raising page and asking for donations from local businesses and setting up a catering stall on the event day to raise extra funds.
This year, Beder was selected as the tournament charity. Founded in 2019 by Razzak Mirjan, in memory of his younger brother, Beder Mirjan, who tragically took his own life, Beder is a charity raising awareness around mental health and suicide prevention through a range of exciting events and initiatives across education, wellness and recreation. It has partnered with Shout, a leading mental health charity and the Samaritans, an established organisation who focus on reducing suicide and offering support to those in need.
Commenting on the generous donation from the store directors, Karl said: ‘We are so grateful for the support we received from Specsavers in New Malden. This helped us achieve our mission statement, to raise money and awareness for mental health and anti-racism through the love of football.
‘Almost 10 years ago we lost a dear friend who struggled with his own mental health and sadly took his own life. Since then, we have been tenaciously working hard to promote mental health and anti-racism at football tournaments and on social media.
‘Specsavers New Malden has helped us return this year, to hold the tournament and raise money for the charity, Beder.’
Commenting about their support of the event, Karina said: ‘It’s a wonderful opportunity to unite everyone and bring them together to celebrate sport, football and community. This is something that both Bhavisha and I are very passionate about.
‘We’re delighted that the tournament could take place this year after a break and also support such a worthy charity, Beder. Hopefully, this will help raise awareness around mental health issues.’
The 2024 All Nations Football Tournament involved 18 teams who were ranked by points and goals scored, with the top 16 then being selected to go through to knockout rounds, with the top four teams going onto the semi-finals. The final match was won by the R2J FC against IFC with a 4-2 win. Top Goal Scorer Kurt Herbert and goalkeeper Ryan Reeves were delighted to receive their trophy’s, while the winning team R2J celebrated their tournament victory in style.
If you would like to meet the store partners and discuss your eyesight or hearing, you can call the team at Specsavers New Malden on 020 8336 7620 or book an appointment online at https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/newmalden
