For Syrian refugees, football is form of moral, psychosocial support

AMMAN –– Amateur footballer Hamza Fuad had been unable to practise his hobby in his home city of Homs over the past few years because of the frequent fighting.

“We tried to play football but couldn’t because of the rockets and bullets in Syria,” noted the 14-year-old, who has been in Amman for three years. 

Fuad told The Jordan Times that he was happy to be able to play football again thanks to a tournament held by the Amal Ou Salam (Hope and Peace) project. 

Hussein Shuriqi, of Amal Ou Salam, said the football tournament, which concluded over the weekend, was part of the psychosocial support for children.  

He explained that the tournament featured eight teams, with each team representing a voluntary group working in Jordan and supporting Syrian refugees in the capital. 

“These children are the ones who were displaced and have recently arrived in Jordan,” Shuriqi told The Jordan Times.

“Sport is a good way to alleviate tension and stress, and to improve children’s state of mind,” he added, highlighting the popularity of football among Syrian children. 

“Some children don’t have the chance to play football while others have been registered in football academies in Jordan. Some representatives of the academies attended the event in Amman and took note of the skilful players to enrol them at their academies,” Shuriqi said.  

Amal Ou Salam was launched in 2013 after its director, Nousha Kabawat, visited refugee areas in southern Turkey and the Atmeh IDP camp in northern Syria, where she was struck by the lack of educational resources and support for children, according to the initiative’s official website. 

The project seeks to address these gaps by supporting schools for Syrian children and running workshops that meet their emotional needs and give them a chance to grow through creativity, fun and play, the website said.

Mohammad Hafeth said what he liked most about the tournament was that it brought together his friends and enabled him to play with them. 

“It is boring at home and the good thing is that it is for free and beneficial at the same time as you can play and train,” the 14-year-old added. 

Issam Luqsi said the tournament provided him with the opportunity to make new friends.

“In Syria, I used to play a lot of football but when the violence flared, I could not and it was too boring for me.”  

For Yaman Shuqairi, the league gave him a taste of what professional football looks like.

“The good thing is that I can practise my favourite hobby in a professional way as there are rules and trophies, which is much better than playing in a neighbourhood,” the 15-year-old said.