| Kippreport.com

Gazans kick off their own world cup

May 17, 2010 2:05 by shafeer

Because Gazans will be unable to visit South Africa and cheer for their favorite teams at this year’s FIFA World Cup, they brought the mighty tournament to their land instead.

Some of the traditional powerhouses of the game, including Italy, France, Germany, and England, have been battling it out on Gaza’s football playgrounds for the Gaza World Cup.

The competition is the idea of American NGO Patrick McGann, who set up the 18 team tournament with the help of the United Nations development program, the Bank of Palestine, and local sponsors.

“I want the rest of the world to understand how wonderful and how optimistic and hopeful the people of Gaza are, and how they’d be excellent partners in moving forward, if only we’d talk with them,” McGann told Al Jazeera.

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Tags: development, football, Gaza World Cup, Soccer, the world cup, United Nations