While the world awaits the World Cup... Gaza's athletes struggle to survive amidst the ruins of their stadiums

The world's attention is focused on the World Cup stadiums preparing to welcome fans and stars, while the brilliance of football talents in the Gaza Strip is fading due to the ongoing war that has destroyed sports infrastructure. Mahmoud Salmi, one of the most prominent talents who was expected to have a promising future, now finds himself trapped within tent walls, after losing his career and his only source of income, living the harsh suffering of displacement far from the green field.

Stadium stands in Gaza no longer echo with the cheers of fans; instead, they have become shelters for thousands of displaced families who found no place other than sports fields to pitch their tents. Sources reported that major stadiums, including 'Al-Durra' stadium, have been transformed from sports facilities into overcrowded shelters for displaced people, making any sports activity impossible amidst the destruction that has affected most facilities.

For his part, sports journalist Alian Al-Zaytoun confirmed that the sports scene in the Strip has become almost non-existent after nearly three years of continuous military escalation. He pointed out that athletes cannot find a single place to practice their training, as major stadiums have been bombed, and only some small five-a-side pitches remain, which have also been damaged, leading to a complete paralysis of local sports activity.

Human losses in the sports community have been devastating, with the Palestinian Football Association announcing the martyrdom of 1007 athletes since the outbreak of the war, including 45 female sports cadres and players. These shocking figures reflect the extent of targeting that the sports system has endured, in addition to the destruction of hundreds of facilities and clubs that served as incubators for youth and talented individuals in various sports.

And the repercussions of the war did not stop at professionals but extended to children who were deprived of their most basic rights to play and practice sports in safe spaces. Public squares and school playgrounds have turned into rubble or crowded shelters, leading to the absence of a nurturing environment for the younger generation, at a time when the world is busy preparing for the biggest international football wedding, far from the tragedy of Gaza.

As athletes, we have completely lost our livelihoods, and our suffering as displaced people cannot be described after stadiums have turned into shelters.