Time to choose the SKF Meet the World winners

It’s that time of year again where SKF Meet the World tournaments will be held all over the world. SKF Canada are among those who are preparing to host their yearly Meet the World tournament. It will take place in Fort McMurray, a city that has been hit hard by forest fires over the last years.

SKF’s partnership with Gothia Cup is not just its largest Corporate Social Responsibility. It is the event that makes dreams come true for underprivileged football teams around the world. SKF’s Meet the World pre-tournaments bring communities together for the chance to win an all-inclusive trip to Gothenburg to compete in Gothia Cup. Since 2007, SKF has sponsored about 25 teams every year at Gothia Cup, giving players a once-in-a-lifetime experience, where lifelong friends and unforgettable memories are made. SKF is proud to be main partner of Gothia Cup.

Here is a sneak peek into SKF Meet the World 2020! (As more SKF countries continue to register for Meet the World 2020, we expect to have around 25 tournaments again this year)

SKF Belgium

Believe it or not, SKF Belgium already hosted its tournament in September 2019 and this is only their second year participating in Meet the World. Four teams battled for the grand prize, and on January 12th the final took place in Hasselt, Belgium. “This year we worked on creating a better Meet the World experience by inviting cheerleaders and making our own trophies,” says Kim Boschmans, Employee Engagement Business Partner at SKF. The winning team – consisting of the 15-year-old boys, and one girl – is eager to show their football skills to the rest of the world in the Gothia Cup this summer.

SKF Canada

So far, SKF Canada has selected the location for its tournament. It will be hosted at Fort McMurray in northern Albert. This is a key growth region for SKF Canada in 2020 and beyond. The city/region has been hit hard by forest fires over the last few years and the slump in oil. “Our thought is that SKF Meet the World can have a great impact on some young soccer players and that we will get great PR in the region,” says Lars Ruuth, local Project Manager for Canada Meet the World.

SKF Lithuania

Although it is quite early in the planning process for SKF Lithuania, they plan to invite some guests from the Swedish Embassy to the finals.

SKF Portugal

SKF Portugal will host its Meet the World tournament on June 10 and 11 in the small town of Paio Pires, close to SKF’s local office. Six teams of 18-year-old girls from regions all over the country will compete for the trip to Gothenburg.

SKF Spain

This year, SKF Spain hopes to host a Meet the World tournament for the Gothia Special Olympics Trophy. While working with the Madrid Down Syndrome foundation, the idea is to have teams of both players and SKF employees. Then, a “national team” will be formed of different players from the tournament who meet the age requirements, will go to Gothenburg.

Picture: The winners of SKF Belgium’s Meet the World tournament.