The rescheduled Brothers In Need Cup, organised by grassroots football initiative Project Volta in partnership with prominent Islamic charity Brothers In Need, will take place in Fairfield on Sunday 7 September.
Originally scheduled for early August, the Cup was postponed due to inclement weather, with organisers optimistic that the switch to early spring will result in more favourable playing conditions.
Project Volta co-founder Enes Mohammad is an inspirational and innovative 24-year-old law student who grew up in Bass Hill, just a short walk from the iconic The Crest sporting complex.
Mr Mohammad considers himself fortunate to have experienced a childhood before technology fully consumed it, spending his days outdoors, riding his bike and playing with neighbours.
Raised in a tight-knit Turkmen family and a strong Muslim community, Enes credits his time at ICMG Guildford mosque every Saturday with his father as his first true sense of brotherhood.
Football was introduced to him very early by his uncles, Umit and Mehmet.
Enes Mohammad (left, and at the front in feature image) is a great example of how young Muslim Australians can blend professional ambition with community leadership.
“There are photos of me with a football before I could even walk,” Mohammad recalls.
“When my uncle Mehmet passed away suddenly, it was the first time I experienced death so close to me.”
“The grief weighed heavily on all of us, but football gave me resilience and a way to cope with something so profound.”
Enes credits his parents – particularly his dad (who sacrificed his electrical engineering career after migrating to Australia to work as an electrician) with instilling the discipline, respect and habits that now drive Project Volta.
“My parents showed me that hard work and community come first,” he says.
Yousef Alkanaz has been Enes’ long time mentor.
Another key figure in Enes’ life has been inspirational community figure Yousef Alkanaz.
“Br Yousef has been a big part of my personal growth,” he said.
“He was my mentor in school and has guided me through every stage of life since….a man I hold close to my heart and who continues to inspire me.”
Enes is emphatic that sport and academics go hand in hand, with the discipline from sports directly translating into education.
He highlights that Western Sydney is full of “hungry, sharp, worthy football talents,” but they are often held back due to a disconnect between grassroots and professional pathways and prohibitive playing costs.
This “wasted potential” is something Australia can’t afford to ignore.
What began during COVID lockdowns as defiant street football sessions in train station car parks has grown into a thriving social enterprise.
Project Volta was born out of a desire to protect mental health and keep the brotherhood alive during a time of unfair restrictions.
After lockdowns, a trip to Europe exposed Enes and his cousins to a different model of football – one where free, public arenas are intertwined into the fabric of every neighbourhood.
“In Australia, many kids are priced out of the system and our mission is to change that,” he explains.
Project Volta has pioneered innovations like Australia’s only portable street soccer cage, allowing them to bring the game to parks, car parks and community events across Western Sydney.
Inspirational community figure Dean Mousad co-founded Brothers In Need 10 years ago.
This tournament represents a natural partnership with Dean Mousad’s Brothers In Need, which is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary.
The two visionaries first connected during humanitarian work earlier in the year in Indonesia and Bosnia, bonding over their shared vision for community-driven change.
Enes is inspired by Dean’s belief in striving for success in this life while using it as a means to secure the next.
“The Brothers In Need Cup is a great example of how charity and sport can work together,” Mohammad says.
“Every registration helps those in need while keeping football accessible.”
He hopes players walk away understanding that “charity doesn’t have to be boring or guilt-driven – it can be joyful, engaging and uplifting.”
In the long term, Enes has a bold vision for Project Volta to become a global football platform, while his personal dream is to own a local football club in his beloved Bass Hill.
He believes that Project Volta’s authenticity comes from being a reflection of what he and his cousins would have wanted as kids, a tribute to the power of community, faith and the ‘beautiful game’.
At just 24 years of age, Enes Mohammad exemplifies how young Muslim Australians can blend professional ambition with community leadership.
He has created a blueprint for sports-based social change that respects both Islamic values and Western Sydney’s cultural fabric.
His work proves that athletic passion and social responsibility aren’t just compatible, but are mutually reinforcing – a lesson for aspiring young leaders across our communities.
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