A local football player from Co Tyrone has spoken of his experience in travelling to Senegal to help to coach and build relationships with young people in the country.
Marty Hughes, a Coalisland native who now plies his trade with Tummery Athletic in Dromore, travelled with a group of players from Northern Ireland as organised by Portadown club Ambassadors FC.
The club are involved in a long-term project to develop football grounds in the African country.
After having just returned home from the trip to Senegal, Marty said it was a ‘no brainer’ for him to go over as it combined two of his passions.
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“We basically went out there to spread awareness about the project and to coach the kids out there,” Marty told MyTyrone.
“I was asked in December if I would be interested in going over to do some missionary work and for me it was a no brainer.
“I love football and I love helping people.
“In the morning time we would go and see their culture and how they lived, there is a lot of poverty there.
“The children just loved to see us coming, they weren’t looking anything from us and I just found it so overwhelming.
“They were so happy and just had such gratitude for life.
“We brought some coaching equipment with us and took a few sessions with us and they just loved it, they just love football there.
“Most of them didn’t even have anything on their feet and no footballs between them.
Marty also thanked his local club Tummery for providing a set of their own kits to the children he had been helping to coach over the last two weeks.
“You would often complain about the state of our facilities over here but the state of what they are playing on is unbelievable.
“I’ve been putting a few bits and pieces on social media and been overwhelmed by the response from people.
“For me it just brought me back down to earth and keeps me humble and appreciate the things you do have in life.
“My club Tummery Athletic organised a charity match which I took part in before I went.
“They raised a lot of money which went a long way, and they organised to have kits sent over as well.
“If you saw the look on the kids faces, you would think they had just been given a million pound.
“I’ve only been with the club 10 months and I just thought that was an unbelievable gesture.”
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