Perseverance, Patience, Palestine
Ibrahim Abd Saqr, Lebanon
Palestinian Sports Media Association in Lebanon is a non-profit media organisation that aims to spotlight Palestinian sports in Lebanon and highlight the activities of clubs, players and young talents. The work of the Association includes holding lectures and seminars with the aim of educating Palestinian youth through sports. Ibrahim Abd Saqr is a 17 year old player from the Palestinian community in Sidon, Lebanon.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your current football life?
My name is Ibrahim Abd Saqr and I am 17 years old. I was born in the Sidon district of Lebanon, and I now live in the city of Saida. I started playing football at the age of seven. I used to play mini football with my friends, and I got to know Mohamed Agha, who is the coach of the Romanista Football Academy in Saida. I joined the Academy in order to develop my talent at football.
Football is my future and I dream of becoming a famous professional football player outside Lebanon. I currently play in defense or defensive midfield and also play futsal.
What did you try to capture with your photos? Was there a wider meaning with the photos?
I tried to highlight my football talent and how hard I work to have a future in this game. Most famous players in the world came from poor neighborhoods, so I might have the chance to become a world-class player one day. The photos were taken next to my house. Football is the language of all peoples and has no borders, and even the poor can play the game with what is available.
It is not important where I play football and it is not important that you have a stadium to play football. Whoever wants to reach his dream must persevere, be patient and work hard in order to achieve his dream.
What role does football play in your life and in your community?
The role of football is to keep young people away from bad habits in our Palestinian society, Lebanese society and all societies of the world. However, we Palestinian youth in Lebanon play football to deliver a message to the whole world that we are a people like all other peoples, a peaceful people, a people who love life, a people who want to return to their homeland.
We support and highlight our country Palestine to the world through football. We organize sports tournaments and raise the flag of our country in order to highlight the just cause of Palestine and our right to live in our land, like all peoples of the globe.
What is the future of football in Lebanon?
In general, the future of football in Lebanon does not bode well. In Lebanon, the opportunity to highlight their talent is difficult for those who want to become professional, especially in the Palestinian environment. There are no quality sports facilities to play the game on, and also the number of players allowed to participate in Lebanese clubs is limited. It is not commensurate with the Palestinian talent in Lebanon.
