Under the rule of the Islamic State group, many young Iraqis were banned from playing football. War and displacement, though, are not stopping them from engaging in their favourite sport.
Many people in Hamam Al-Alil displacement camp in northern Iraq have lost their homes, loved ones, families and friends - but not their passion for football. It has become a way for them to make new friends and maintain positive energy.
Fighting to play football
In areas controlled by the IS group, football was forbidden for many, and played under strict regulations by only a few. Many were forced to flee from violence committed by the armed group, and are now embracing Iraq’s national sport in Hamam Al-Alil displacement camp in northern Iraq, where the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has set up a football field for children and youth.
There is great enthusiasm and competition in both the sport and the use of the field, but the 30 football teams in the camp must wait patiently to play. Ten teams can use the football field every day, and they have to reserve their time in advance.
Eighteen-year-old Mazhr had to flee his home in Mosul when the city was attacked by the IS group.
He has been living in Hamam Al-Alil camp since it opened in May 2017. Mazhr has a great passion for football. He was a member of Mosul football club, and dreams of joining the Iraqi national team someday.
After the IS group attacked Mosul, his club was destroyed and new restrictions were imposed on players; they had to wear long trousers instead of regular football shorts and when it was time for prayer, they had to leave the game immediately and go to the mosque under the penalty of torture, or worse.
Mazhr joined a football team in Hamam Al-Alil displacement camp, but they had no proper place to play at first. “We were playing in muddy areas around the camp with a plastic ball,” he says.
It didn’t take long before he took matters into his own hands.
“I kept on talking to NRC’s team in Hamam Al-Alil, over and over again, requesting them to build a football field for us, until they actually built this field as they promised”.
He adds grinning: “NRC’s team in Hamam Al-Alil knew about my passion for football and brought me a proper ball as a gift.”
Friendship and unity
Football has led to unity and strong friendship among people in the camp. Mahfudh, 21, and Mohamed, 22, both fled when the IS group attacked their home villages. They first met in Mohamed’s home village Tal Afar, where Mahfudh first sought safety, and became good friends through a local football team.
Later, the friends fled together from Tal Afar to Hamam Al-Alil, where they joined football teams and made new friends.
The two young men are happy that they can finally play football freely after the three years of restrictions imposed by the IS group.
“If they saw us playing football, the IS group would force us to join them, or they would force us to go to the mosque, so whenever we saw them coming we ran to our homes.”
Playing in the mud
Adnan, a young boy from Sinjar, has lived in Hamam Al-Alil camp for six months. He’s a big fan of the football team Barcelona, and like with any Barcelona fan, Messi is his favorite football player. “We used to walk around the camp because we had nothing else to do, or play football in a muddy area around the camp.”
Now, the football field in Hamam Al-Alil has become a source of joy for youth and children like Adnan.
Although the IS group has been defeated across Iraq, many people are too scared to return home, while some fear that their homes have been bombed to the ground. It’s uncertain when they will be able to return safely.
While they’re waiting to rebuild their lives, youth and children play football with passion, wait in line to enter the field, organise and unite teams to play together. Their eagerness has encouraged the NRC field teams to expand the football field project to other displacement camps in Iraq.
by Helen Baker
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