The war in Gaza has left a trail of destruction, and the sports sector is no exception. Mohammed Safi, a football coach and physical education teacher, was killed in an Israeli air strike on November 15, 2023. His father, Shaker Safi, reminisces about his son’s sporting legacy, saying, “He believed sport could lift youth from despair.
But war reached him before he could reach the world.” Mohammed’s wife, Nermeen, an art teacher, says, “He was a man of dreams, not politics… He wanted to become an international referee. He wanted his master’s degree. Instead, he was killed for being a symbol of life and youth.”
The devastating impact of the war on Gaza’s sports sector is evident. According to the Palestinian Olympic Committee, 582 athletes have been killed since October 7, 2023, and hundreds more are injured or missing. For those who remain alive, survival has replaced sporting ambition. Yousef Abu Shawarib, a 20-year-old goalkeeper, says, “Now, I only hope we have something to eat tomorrow… The war didn’t just destroy fields – it destroyed our futures.”
The destruction of sports facilities has been extensive, with at least 270 sports facilities damaged or destroyed, including 189 completely flattened and 81 partially damaged. Asaad al-Majdalawi, vice president of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, says, “Every major component of Gaza’s sports system has been hit… It’s a comprehensive assault.” He warns that the interruption of sports activities for a year and a half will result in physical, psychological, and professional regression for remaining athletes.
The international response to the devastation of Gaza’s sports sector has been alarmingly inadequate, according to al-Majdalawi. He believes that if the war ended today, it would still take five to 10 years to rebuild what has been lost. “We have been building this sports sector since 1994… It took us decades to accumulate knowledge, experience, and professionalism. Now, it’s all been levelled in months.”
Despite the devastation, there is hope. Shadi Abu Armanah, head coach of Palestine’s amputee football team, says, “For amputees, sport was a second chance… Now they are just trying to survive.” Fathers like Shaker Safi, athletes like Yousef, and coaches like Shadi hold on to one unyielding belief: that sport will once again be a source of hope, identity, and life for Palestinians.