Gaza footballers navigate war while global football excludes them
Original framing: “World celebrates, but Gaza watches the World Cup from a distance” — Al Jazeera
Gazan athletes and coaches are not just victims of war—they are active agents with insights into how sports can be used for resilience and community building. Their voices are missing from global sports policy discussions, which are dominated by Western institutions and national federations.
The exclusion of Gazan athletes from the World Cup is not merely a human rights issue but a systemic failure of global sports governance to recognize the role of sports in peace-building and community resilience.
By integrating conflict-affected athletes into international sports systems, we can begin to address the structural inequalities that marginalize them. Drawing on cross-cultural models from West Africa and South Asia, and informed by scientific insights into the therapeutic effects of sports, a more inclusive approach is both possible and necessary. The voices of Gazan athletes, often silenced in mainstream narratives, must be amplified to challenge the dominant power structures that shape global sports. Only through such systemic change can sports fulfill their potential as a force for unity and healing.