A Message of Hope from above

A true beginning of the journey towards the goal
“Before joining the ‘Sport for All’ project with PAFA, I used to play sport with my brothers in my neighbourhood.” Says Moaz.” Ever since the association announced the creation of a football league for amputees, I joined in 2018, and that was the true beginning of the journey towards achieving the goal,” With this new beginning, Moaz began to harbour the dream he had always hoped to realise: to become a national player representing his country’s flag in official competitions in the days to come. Moaz would never have achieved this had it not been for the significant role played by PAFA, which provides a supportive environment for nurturing talent and fostering ability. Expressing his delight, Moaz says: “In a very short span of time, my teammates and I grew in our abilities and found ourselves in France to benefit from the experience of the local amputee players there, and to gain exposure by playing friendly matches against French teams in 2019.”
All of this served as preparation for the first official competition in 2020, when Palestine took part in the Asian World Cup qualifiers held in Tehran, Iran. Moaz explained: “We began to take a greater interest and engage more extensively in training to prepare thoroughly in this sport, until we were struck by the genocidal war in Gaza at the end of 2023,” This war which came for Gaza’s people, infrastructure and landscape alike : the occupation made no distinction between buildings, facilities and civilians. The occupation killed over 100,000 martyrs and destroyed all sports facilities and residential buildings, revealing its true face towards our Palestinian people. After more than a full year of disruption to all aspects of daily life, including sporting activities, Moaz expressed his satisfaction at the gradual resumption of sporting activities, saying: “PAFA reached out to us in late 2024 to announce the first sporting gathering for amputees as part of the sporting recovery plan, despite the ongoing war. This made me feel a very strong sense of belonging to the association that has given us our lives back.”, This gathering, which brought together an elite group of amputee athletes as the first sporting event despite the ongoing war, and despite the significant risks and challenges, saw the players’ participation as a message of hope for the return of their lives. Moaz commented on this, saying: “At that time, I felt that PAFA was my personal space that restored our mental and physical well-being.”
Sport for All
Sport is a right for everyone and is not the exclusive privilege of any one group. There is no discrimination in sport. Indeed, sport rectifies many of the issues that are corrupted by other aspects of society, as it serves all groups without exception. PAFA has made a great effort to be a key partner in this regard for the ‘Sport for All’ initiative by setting aside a weekly space for footballers with amputations. Speaking on this, Moaz said: “Through the weekly training sessions, I felt as though I was in my own personal space; indeed, we all felt a sense of mental and physical well-being that extended beyond the pitch to reach our families in their homes.”
In the world we live in, no endeavour is without obstacles or difficulties; the people of Gaza have faced many challenges throughout their lives, particularly in the face of a war that has raged for more than two years – and is still ongoing. As for Moaz, his view was that: “It is the borders that have deprived us of our right to play, our right to life, and our right to participate internationally and represent our beloved homeland, Palestine, in various competitions.” Palestine was due to take part in the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup for Amputees in Mexico later this year, in November 2026. Moaz added: “The war, too, was a major challenge and a terrifying obstacle; it destroyed life in Gaza and set us back decades,” All these obstacles, coupled with the difficulty of moving around Gaza’s neighbourhoods due to the war, have had a negative impact on the morale of our participants. However, PAFA has not given up and will not give up; it will always continue to work hard and diligently to deliver its noble mission of using sport to draw hope upon the faces of our Palestinian people.
The best is yet to come
Moaz looked to the future and linked this to the important humanitarian role, particularly in light of the circumstances and complexities facing Gaza, saying: “I am, first and foremost, a human being, and I strive to serve every person who has lost a limb. I devote my utmost efforts to serving this group with everything I have, to give them hope and ensure that life goes on,” Mu’adh expressed his hope that the State of Palestine would become the focus of the world’s attention so that it might live in freedom like the rest of the world”. H he extended his thanks and gratitude to the management of the ‘Sport for All’ project, saying: “This is a message from Moaz, because Moaz has found his place in the ‘Sport for All’ project, which serves a broad section of our people. But more importantly, the project must continue and expand to serve the largest possible number of my peers in Palestinian society, given the difficult circumstances they face. Know that serving ordinary people and oppressed refugees is a truly great cause, one worth striving for.”
In conclusion, the Palestine Amputee Football Association, through its partnership with relevant organisations both inside and outside Palestine, is committed to ensuring that its educational, psychological and physical mission transcends the boundaries of any football pitch to reach every Palestinian home and family, both in the homeland and in the diaspora. This can only be achieved with the participation of everyone in this world who carries in their heart a message of hope from above to serve marginalised and oppressed groups, such as our people in Gaza in particular, and Palestine in general.