The Friendship Football Tournament – few days to Cherish in Refugee Camp
- 16/08/2016
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By Maung Shay Khaing
COX’S BAZAR: Every year, sport enthusiasts organize Friendship Football Tournament to temporarily alleviate despair Rohingya refugee face in camps and to bring together the friendship and brotherhood between different Rohingya refugee camps in the district of Cox’s Bazar where more than 80,000 Rohingya take refuge after fleeing various persecutions and military campaigns in their native country, Myanmar.
2016 is not an exception. The tournament was organized between between different blocks of registered Kutupalong Refugee Camp. The chairperson of the tournament, Mohammed Helal Uddin (aka Kalu), along with the committee members – Mohammed Imran, Mohammed Ismail, Mohammed Hossain and MV. Noor Kamal, have enlisted eight teams to partake in the tournament.
The tournament kicked off on 23 July with G-Block defeating Junior-G team comfortably and faced F-Block in the final held on 12 August.
The final was breathtaking contest where both teams struggled to produce the chances to lift the trophy. Mohammed Zamir of F-Block came out to score a wonderful goal and helped F-Block to win the tournament. He also bagged both man-of-the-tournament and top-scorer awards while Noor Hashim of the same F-Block took the man-of-the-match.
Although the tournament lasts a few days, it provides much spirit and enjoyment the refugees need with the boundary of the camp where they yet see changes in education, healthcare, employment, freedom of movement and above all, the freedom of hope having confined in the camp for more than 25 years.
