Published: 10 December 2021
Last updated: 4 March 2024
The squad of 20 amputee footballers from Gaza hopes to play in the Amputee Football World Cup next year
THE FIRST-EVER Palestinian amputee football team was launched in Gaza City on Friday to coincide with International Day for People with Disabilities.
The Palestine Amputee Football Association national squad is supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The squad of 20 consists of young Palestinians who lost parts of their bodies, either in previous wars with Israel or in accidents.
Players used crutches and prosthetic legs to play football as they trained at a stadium in Gaza City.
The team aims to participate in the Amputee Football World Cup scheduled to be held in Turkey next year.
Ahmed Alkhodari, 23, lost his leg in March 2019 during the Great March of Return three years ago. Hundreds of Palestinians were killed, and tens of thousands were wounded in Israeli firing as they attempted to cross the fence demanding a return to towns and villages located inside Israel from where their ancestors were ethnically cleansed in 1948.
At least 156 of those who were wounded faced amputations.
FULL STORY Palestinians launch first national amputee football team in Gaza (Al-Jazeera)
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