(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
#qatar 2022 The Peninsula
DOHA: Being a football coach anywhere can bring pressure. The coach is the person their team members will turn to on a difficult day, when they may be feeling down or exhausted, and the one who needs to be the source of the strength, motivation, and courage they need to face these difficulties.
So how about if you are the coach of a team of young Palestinian women living in the Tulkarm refugee camp in the West Bank, where schools are overcrowded, unemployment is high, chronic diseases are common, and the sewage network is insufficient?
Yemon Masri, a 29-year-old Palestinian woman and an international football and life skills coach, trains Palestinian refugee girls in Tulkarm camp. Her childhood dream was to be a professional football player – a dream that was lost because she did not have the support she needed to achieve it. But she has given new life to that dream by training a new generation of female Palestinian footballers.
It was Yemon who prepared the Palestinian refugee girls' team to be part of the fourth edition of the Street Child World Cup, held in partnership with Qatar Foundation (QF), that took place in Doha in October 2022. And she and the team have since returned to Qatar to participate in the GOAL 22 program at QF's Education City, during the Generation Amazing Festival held in partnership between QF and the Generation Amazing Foundation as part of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 activities.
'When I was these girls' age, I was a football player and had the talent, but at that time I did not get any kind of sports or social support as a girl playing football,” said Yemon.“I always asked myself 'what if I had the opportunity?'
“That led me to study physical education in Palestine Technical University - Khadouri in Tulkarm, I specialized in football, and I made great efforts to be part of this program that did not accept women at that time – in fact, I was the first girl there to specialize in football.
'What I didn't get in my childhood, I want today's children to have . My goal is to leave a positive impact on the lives of young women, and to convince them that they have the right to dream and to achieve their dreams, so they know the reality of today will not be their future tomorrow. That's why I work on guiding them to develop their life and learning skills within the concept of Sport for Change”.
Yemon started her professional career with the Palestine: Sports For Life association about seven years ago and designed a program for Tulkarm as a community service. She started her journey by training one girl, as it was difficult to convince girls to join the game due to societal obstacles.
Over the years, the program has expanded to include about 50 girls and 80 boys.
“It is not popular for a girl to play football in our societies, including Tulkarm,” she says.“So I have always sought to convince parents of the positive impact that sport gives, and made many attempts to ensure safe training for their daughters, to gain their confidence, and to prove to them that football will be a source of inspiration to their kids, especially since they live in difficult economic and social living conditions where no entertainment or means of education is available.”
“These young women played football on a grass field for the first time in their lives here in Qatar.
I say to those who dream of opportunities: dream, strive, persevere, be patient, and most of all, believe in your abilities.”
Aya Habayeb, an 18-year-old member of the Palestinian football team, says:“I started playing football at the age of six and faced opposition from parents and society, but I insisted on continuing because football is the escape through which I express my feelings of anger and sadness, as my father had cancer while I was in middle school and treatment was not available.
'My coach played a major role in helping me overcome many difficulties, including bullying, as I am a girl with short hair who plays football. The environment in which we live considers that football is only for males.
“I dream of becoming a professional player in order to help my father and younger sister who also has cancer. Being the eldest of my siblings, I feel responsible for achieving this. And I always try to turn social bullying into an incentive”.
Aya also has a message for the global community: 'From Qatar, I say to the world: pay attention to the dreams of children in Palestine and help us achieve them. We are like imprisoned birds waiting for someone to open the cage door for us so that we can fly and express our dreams and ourselves.'
Jana Abu Heish, a 14-year-old member of the team, says:“When I started playing football, I did not expect that I would fulfill my dream and be on a plane one day – and to Qatar where the World Cup matches are taking place.
“Everything has changed in my life within two years, I wanted to live the dream of traveling one day, so I joined the team, and I went through intensive training for two years. Without the help of my coach, I would not have reached here, because she is the one who motivated me to succeed – she always tells us that we are strong, and that we must persevere and be patient to achieve what we want.
“We strive to become professional footballers, but the sports facilities are not available, nor are the tools. We train in the school stadium on the asphalt floor and are always exposed to injuries. During the winter, the stadium becomes a puddle of water. But I dream of a Palestinian national team participating in the FIFA World Cup, and I hope to attend World Cup matches in Qatar like all the fans.'
Maysoon Nakhleh, a translator and coordinator with Palestine: Sports For life, helps to convey the voices of Palestinian girls to the world.“I am committed to being professional as a translator with the team, but my trip with them to Qatar for the second time is full of feelings,” she explained.
“I translate their words, their dreams, their determination; I tell their stories from the heart; and I help to protect their dreams, because they are part of our dreams as Palestinians. Every girl here has a story to tell.
'Football is not just a game: it is the bridge that brought us to Qatar, to an Arab country hosting the World Cup for the first time in history, where we raised our voice as Palestinians from Qatar to the world, to say 'we are present, we are steadfast, and we are strong'.'