Croatia and Iran to play football fundraising friendly on Hvar

The Iranian national five-a-side team will take on Croatia in Jelsa in a charity fundraiser as part of its UEFA Euro 2012 preparations.

As exclusively revealed by leading local internet portal Otok Hvar on January 9, 2012, the island of Hvar is set to welcome the Iranian national futsal team next week to play in a charity match with Croatia in a fundraising event for a sick child on the island. Final details of the match are yet to be confirmed, but is scheduled to be played in the sports hall in Jelsa, on the island's northern coast on January 18-19, with the match being broadcast live on television. Proceeds from the match, which has several sponsors in place, will go to the "Blagdanska milost za Tina" campaign to raise money for six-month old Tin, a Jelsa resident, who is suffering from sarcoma. While the appearance of an Iranian football team appearing on Croatia's premier island - named by Lonely Planet as its number 5 destination for 2012 - may appear strange at first glance, the match is not taking place in isolation. Iran, ranked six in the world futsal rankings with a score of 1591, will be taking part in the UEFA Euro 2012 championships, hosted by Croatia, from January 31 to February 12. The match is the latest in an impressive effort of fundraising by citizens and organisations on the island, which is better known for its lavender, sunshine and celebrity draw. Recent charity events raised 40,000 kuna (US$8,000) for Tin, while the Rotary Club dinner dance in the Arsenal in December raised more than 80,000 kuna (US$16,000) in a single evening for the disabled on the island. The Iranian arrival in January is a reminder of the potential of Hvar as a winter sporting resort. Its temperate climate and good sporting facilities made it a popular destination for sporting teams in former Yugoslavia, and the two biggest teams in Croatia - Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb - have both used the island for training programmes in the past. More details of the preparations for the match will be posted first on Otok Hvar.