The 14th of July marks the beginning of the Gothia Cup, the world’s largest youth football tournament, in Gothenburg. This year, 1,915 teams from 76 nations are participating, including a team from Palestine.
The team in question is called Rawahel Charity Society and consists of boys aged 13-14 from a refugee camp in Tulkarm in the northwestern part of the West Bank. Their coach, Ahmad Naalweh, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to come to Gothenburg, but he emphasized that the children are the ones who are most excited about the experience.
According to Naalweh, the difficult conditions in the West Bank, including raids on refugee camps, make it sometimes dangerous to engage in sports. Additionally, traveling abroad for Palestinians – especially Palestinian children – is very challenging in these times. However, the trip holds significant importance for them.
„We have a message we want to convey. That there are children in Palestine who have talent, who love to play, who love life, have dreams, and want to live in peace, just like all children on Earth,“ Naalweh stated.
This is not the first time a Palestinian team has participated in the Gothia Cup. In 2005, a team from Ramallah attended the tournament. While most teams have been from the West Bank, in 2016, a team from Gaza participated through the UN refugee agency Unrwa.
Rawahel Charity Society is part of Group 10 in the B14B category, and they will play their first match against Swedish team Islingby IK on Monday, July 15th at 11:10 am at Bravida Arena. Malaika Lizarazu from the Swedish-Chilean association Chile despertó jóvenes Göteborg, who has been in contact with the team, expressed her excitement about their arrival and their desire to support and show love to the Palestinian team.
The schedule for Rawahel Charity Society in the Gothia Cup is as follows:
– Monday, July 15th at 11:10 am: Rawahel Charity Society vs. Islingby IK
– Tuesday, July 16th at 11:00 am: Rawahel Charity Society vs. Lammhult IFK
– Wednesday, July 17th at 11:00 am: Rawahel Charity Society vs. Torslanda IK 1
All matches will take place at Bravida Arena on Hisingen, Gothenburg. The presence of Rawahel Charity Society in the tournament not only showcases their talent and passion for the sport but also serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by Palestinian children and the importance of unity and support from the global community.