By David Gold

afc dream_asia_cerebral_palsy_tournament_2012March 23 - Pararoos coach Paul Brown has selected a 12 player Australian squad for the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) Dream Asia Cerebral Palsy Tournament, being held in Abu Dhabi from April 1 until 7.

Australia will be taking on Iran, Jordan, South Korea, Singapore and the hosts, the United Arab Emirates, at the Military Forces Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

The participants have been selected based on their regional representation of the AFC's five regions, as well as the Cerebral Palsy International Sport and Recreation Association (CPISRA) world rankings.

Brown said: "Obviously it was very disappointing for us not to qualify for the 2012 London Paralympic Games, but this tournament will provide us with the ideal opportunity to start our preparations for the next campaign.

"This is a younger squad than we have had in the past with four players set to make their international debuts.

"This was a deliberate decision to try and add more depth to our national team for the future.

"It's also good to see players from states with programmes that are only a year old starting to bear fruit like Chris Barty and Michael Debenham from Western Australia.

"Anytime our players get the chance to test themselves against quality international opposition is a great occasion in their sporting career.

"Our goal is to go to Abu Dhabi to be competitive and do Australia proud."

This is a new tournament brought in by the AFC aiming to encourage local communities to play the game, regardless of ability.

Supported by CPISRA, the game is played within FIFA rules, with some exceptions for seven-a-side football.

It is part of the Dream Asia programme, which looks to use football for positive social change.

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