Rohingyas to show their mettle in UNHCR’s football tournament

At least 33 Rohingyas will be participating in the football tournament organised by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at the Quli Qutub Shah Stadium in Ghansi Bazar.
Image used for representational purpose
Image used for representational purpose

HYDERABAD: While the rest of the city would be donning their favourite Messi or Ronaldo jersey by supporting their favourite footballers playing at the World Cup, this neighbourhood in the Old City will witness refugees battle it out at a football tournament for the pride of their community on Wednesday.
At least 33 Rohingyas will be participating in the football tournament organised by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at the Quli Qutub Shah Stadium in Ghansi Bazar. Among all the 16 teams participating, three teams will comprise Rohingyas from Jalpally, Kishanbagh and Balapur refugee camps in the city.

Though the three teams will be representing their respective camps, their aim is uniform. “It is a known fact that governments around the world do not see us in a good light. We want to show the world that we, too, are talented,” said 24-year-old Sheikh Abdullah, a player of the Rohingya Football Club (Balapur).  
“We are not playing for the sake of it. We want Rohingyas to be seen in a good light,” Abdullah added. The Balapur resident, who works at a grocery shop, was also a member of the the All-India Rohingya Football Club, which played at a tournament in New Delhi. He was also adjudged as the second highest scorer in the tournament.

Abdullah and others contend that though they have played in football tournaments before, this would be the biggest platform for them. The closing ceremony is slated to be attended by Deputy Chief Minister Mahmood Ali, GHMC Commissioner Janardhan Reddy, and City Commissioner Anjani Kumar.
The Balapur Rohingya football team has been practising from the day UNHCR announced the tournament. “Earlier, we used to play at  Barkas ground but we could not continue for long as it was far away. That is when we spotted a ground beside a nearby tomb.” Abdullah and his comrades now play at the Roshan ud Daulah ground at Balapur. “We cleared the jungle there, removed the gravel and other things and began our practice session there.”

Tough journey

However, the journey to football for a little bit of solace has been long for the Rohingyas. “Back in Myanmar, we used to play football in our village,” said Mohammad Salim, who plays as a defender for the Balapur Rohingya football team. “However, after we had to flee the country because of the atrocities, and camped in Hyderabad, we did not play for a long time. It was five months into our stay that we realised that there is a football scene over here too. We then started playing at the Barkas ground and began participating in tournaments.” Abdullah now says that there is considerable recognition for them because of their playing talents. “Most players from Charminar area know us as we have defeated most of them,” a proud Abdullah said.  The tournament is said to start at 8 am on Wednesday.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com