‘Ahliya’ is a team that belongs to the Palestinian Football Association, which is a part of the Palestine National Football for Athletes of Short Stature.
No one should be excluded from sports competition, and the besieged Gaza Strip continues to present a model for successive social inclusion.
The Palestine Chronicle attended the training at Saad Sayel Stadium of the Ahliya team, made of athletes of short stature, in preparation for upcoming competitions.
‘Ahliya’ is a team that belongs to the Palestinian Football Association, which is a part of the Palestine National Football for Athletes of Short Stature.
The team was established in Lebanon in 2021 and is regionally and internationally recognized.
‘Ala Miqdad works as a professional clown, entertaining children for the last 21 years.
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He told The Palestine Chronicle that he is very happy to be part of the team.
“For years, we have practiced as a hobby. We played with our friends in the neighborhood or in the clubs. But now, we feel that we are an important part of Palestinian athletic life as one team. This gives us much hope that we could have an important social contribution to make,” he said.
“People of short stature are classified in Gaza as people with disabilities as if we do not have a unique position on our own, so this team makes a big difference in trying to assert ourselves as an important part in Gaza’s society.”
The athlete, also known as Uncle ‘Aloush, said that “we hope to raise the Palestinian flag in international competitions everywhere.”
(All Photos: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)
