Tiny but brilliant players

A junior football team from Gaza is currently touring Ireland. The 14 members of the Al Helal Football Club - aged nine to 14 - arrived in Dublin on Friday for the start of their ten-day visit. Local people in Ballybrack, Co Dublin, hoisted Palestinian flags on street posts to welcome the children as they lined out against Ballybrack FC.



The Palestinian boys are very small for their age - because they have suffered years of malnourishment - but Ballybrack chair Theresa Waters said they are fantastic footballers. "They are tiny but brilliant players - and their goalkeeper was fabulous," she said. "They ran rings round our kids. The Al Helal team won 2-0 and at the end of the festivities they just started spontaneously singing and dancing for the crowd - it nearly broke my heart."



The visit was organised by Gaza Action Ireland. Initially the Israeli authorities would not allow the children permits to travel - but eventually they were allowed to leave - all except for one boy - Karam Zadan, 14, injured in a shell blast, who was not given a travel permit.



Zoe Lawler from GAI said: "Karam is a child who's been injured in an attack and he has shell injuries. He has also suffered trauma - yet he's still a really good player. You have to wonder why the Israeli authorities did not want that child in particular to travel to Ireland - is it because they didn't want the Irish to see his injuries?"



The team, however, have not forgotten their friend - and the importance of sharing their trip with him. They are documenting their holiday faithfully and sing a song over and over,: "We love you Karam."



Gaza is one of the most dangerous places in the world to grow up - 556 children were killed there in 2014.



See two films about the tour here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=o16I5yyXS3Y



https://amp.twimg.com/v/9b0b0af0-ecc9-4325-9fd9-9589a7565a58

Tags: Al Helal Football Club, GAI, Gaza, Gaza Action Ireland

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