Palestinians may not have a state, but now they have a way to express their national pride — through soccer.On Sunday, the national team hosted an international match for the first time, in the West Bank's only regulation-size stadium. Located in a West Bank suburb of Jerusalem, the stadium was renovated with the help of FIFA, soccer's governing body, and other donors.
Thousands watched the friendly game against Jordan, and the crowd roared as Palestinian forward Ahmed Kashkash scored several minutes after kickoff. Jordan tied early in the second half. The game ended in a 1-1 tie.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter was on hand to cheer. "We are here to realize a dream, that is the national team of Palestine playing in its own stadium," Blatter said, calling the event "historic."
Some said the international recognition was important. "We now have a stadium, and the Palestinian flag will be flying in this stadium," Wissam Abu Sharif, a 30-year-old Palestinian soccer fan, said ahead of the game. "Palestine is on the map of international sports."
It's not a soccer powerhouse, though. The Palestinian team is ranked 180th of 207 members by FIFA. It peaked at No. 115 in April 2006.
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5 comments:
Palestinians still remain a one nation with one dream and one belief, though Arabs and Israelis are diong their best to create hate and civil war between us.
One of the reasons I like sports is becuase it's like a universal language and it's one of the few things that brings the world together. It forces people from diffrent religions and races to interact without the usual resentment.
That's wonderful, really. :)
Also, you're not posting half as much as you used to, meaning there's less for me to read... My selfish complaints aside, I'm hoping that's a good thing, i.e you've found something [better] to occupy your time with.
:)
true im not posting as much as i used to .. but thats mostly because i dont have anything interesting to blog about :D
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