The Canary exclusive — Palestine’s beach football team qualifies for the second round with half a squad

Palestine’s beach football team has achieved a major milestone by qualifying for the second round of the Asian Games following a 4–3 victory over China.

The Palestinian team will play their next match tomorrow, Monday, against Iran, the world’s top-ranked beach football team.

Although the Palestinian team took part with only half their usual squad and without a coach, they achieved a major and significant feat in their first tournament following a three-year hiatus caused by the suspension of sporting activities due to the Israeli genocide.

A number of players from Gaza had survived the war of extermination and managed to take part in the tournament, but the experience had a different flavour despite the challenges the team faced in their short preparation for the competition.

In exclusive comments to Canary, Palestine captain Alaa Attia said that this qualification is a genuine achievement, particularly as the team was not at full strength and was only able to prepare and train just four days before the tournament, unlike other teams which had begun preparations months earlier.

Attia added to the Canary that the closure of the Rafah crossing by the Israeli occupation prevented a number of the team’s players and coaching staff from leaving, in a clear violation of international sporting laws and the freedom to play football guaranteed by FIFA.

Attiya emphasised the importance of qualifying for the second round and the team’s determination to continue their journey in the tournament, in which the same team had previously won the bronze medal in 2012.

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