OXFORD’S largest six-a-side football tournament will take place for the fifth successive year this weekend to raise money for the blind.

The Oxford Ambition Project will hold its annual tournament at St Gregory the Great Catholic School, in Cricket Road, from 11am on Sunday, June 22.

The Oxfordshire Association for the Blind will receive the profits from the tournament, which will include 32 teams named from countries in this year’s World Cup.

Shajaat Hussain, chairman of the Oxford Ambition Project, said: “We are extremely proud and excited about this year’s event.

“With it being a World Cup year the nation is totally going football crazy.

“Now we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the weather holds up and that we can raise as much money for the Oxfordshire Association for the Blind as possible.”

Mr Hussain chose the group after learning about their work from a colleague whose mother works with the charity.

He said: “We wanted a charity with a bit of a personal connection. It’s a local charity and the tournament is about giving back to the community. They will not get as much government funding and not a lot of people will know about this charity so I think the money we raise will go a long way.”

Mr Hussain set the project up five years ago to raise money for flood-stricken families in Pakistan.

Since then it has raised £35,000 for good causes, including £7,000 at last year’s tournament for the John Radcliffe West Wing and Children’s Hospital.

Mr Hussain said: “I’m seriously proud of the money we have raised, but I want to maintain the momentum of the last five years.

“Some events will come and go, but the tournament has held the test of time and people look forward to them.

“So I want to say thanks to people that give up their money to play because their money does some good.”

MP for Oxford East Andrew Smith will present trophies to the winners and runners-up.

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