Kurt Hunt, a Newport native, represented the United States at the Senior World Cup in Thailand last month, helping his team take home a bronze medal. The 40-and-over tournament, which began in 2006 as a way to draw tourists back to Bangkok after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, featured teams from Australia, France, England, Taiwan, and others.
Hunt, a 2007 Castleton graduate, played for the North Country Falcons in high school and went on to start for the Spartans under coaches John Werner and Chris O'Brien. After college, he served as a second lieutenant in the Army, deploying to Iraq. He eventually joined the All Army sports program and then the U.S. military national team, which led to his spot on the Senior World Cup squad.
"We played teams like Australia, France, England, Taiwan. We came from all over the United States, some of us all over the world. But we came together real tight through training camp," Hunt said.
The U.S. team finished third behind France and champion England. Hunt and his teammates were in Vermont over the weekend competing in the USASA Veterans Cup at the Tree Farm in Essex. He said the experience was a chance to connect with family and friends and to promote the senior national soccer program.
Photo: Wesley Tingey via Unsplash. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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