Connect with us

News

Without his right arm, the Palestinian goalkeeper receives praise and acclaim

Avatar

Published

on

Oday Nasser, who was born without an arm, has become a well-known goalkeeper on the West Bank, winning dozens of medals in the local football league.

The 26-year-old man, who was born without his right arm, has been playing for the Nablus-based Deir Sharaf club, despite the fact that none of his colleagues are disabled.

“It wasn’t easy to achieve this position, especially because a goalie has to do everything, he can to keep a ball from reaching the gate,” Nasser told Xinhua as he put on his team’s shirt before a training session.

“At first, I was sad when I observed people’s looks of pity for me, particularly my family, who thought I couldn’t play football due to my condition,” the young guy recounted.

Those stares, however, faded quickly, and the sympathy did not deter him from following his dream of being a professional football player.

Nasser used to play football at school until he was discovered by his physical education instructor, who praised his ability to guard the gate and prevent anyone from scoring a goal. Nasser was just ten years old at the time. Nasser’s first official match took place in the West Bank in 2015. Following that, he took part in 22 leagues at the Palestinian governorate level.

Nasser has won three cups and dozens of medals, including gold, silver, and bronze, as one of the top goalkeepers in the West Bank. Nasser is dedicated to practicing for over five hours a day in order to improve his football talents, earning praise from trainers for his endurance and originality in catching the ball.

“Losing a portion of your body does not imply that you have lost your zest for life or that you have become a burden on your family or society,” Nasser said.

“When life takes away something vital from us, it provides us strength elsewhere,” he explained.

Nasser voiced concern for Palestinian society’s attitude toward disabled individuals, who are frequently considered as second-class citizens.

Individuals with disabilities account for 2.1 percent of the Palestinian population, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

Nasser’s coach, Ahmed Antary, lauded his performance, saying, “He is distinguished by his high ability to jump in the air and receive the ball, as well as his high flexibility.”

“Nasser has risen to this position in a record amount of time since joining our club. He earned the position of official guard for the club after proving himself, and we now can’t function without him in any way “Antary remarked. Nasser works as a construction worker to make ends meet when there are no matches. He smiled as he stated, “Playing football was the key for me to convince people that I can work and generate money.”

“I am determined to live a normal life without relying on anyone,” he said, adding that he is focusing on sharing his story with disabled individuals in order to motivate them to realize their potential and prove themselves. Nasser has also voiced his desire to play goalkeeper for the Palestinian national team in international matches.

 

Source: Xinhua News Agency

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

News

President Solih operated on orders from a foreign diplomat: President Muizzu

FI

Published

on

By

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu alleges that his predecessor, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, operated on orders from a foreign diplomat.

In an interview with Public Service Media (PSM) which aired on Thursday night, President Muizzu was asked for a response to criticism from the opposition regarding a recent procurement of military drones.

President Muizzu noted that the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), when it held office from 2018-2023, also held a supermajority in the Parliament.

However, the party failed to protect Maldives’ independence, leaving it in the hands of a foreign country, he said.

He said that President Solih had operated on orders from a foreign ambassador, which resulted in extensive damage.

However, he did not specify which foreign country he was referring to.

“We had lost independence in all sense of the word, including economically. After having done all this, they would naturally not accept our efforts to remedy all this and put the country on a track that the Maldivian people want, towards a ‘Dhiveheenge Raajje’,” he said.

Regarding the cost of the drones, President Muizzu said that while he believes in transparency, such military secrets aren’t disclosed by any country.

“In such matters that is crucial to national security, I am heavily reliant on counsel from our chief of defense force and our generals. Therefore, I will follow their counsel, and I will listen to them,” he said.

President Muizzu said that no value can be attached to the independence of Maldives, and that it is in fact “priceless.”

While the People’s National Congress (PNC) administration accuses the former administration of getting overly dependent on India, the MDP accuses the incumbent administration of ruining age-old ties with India and fostering closer ties with China.

President Muizzu had campaigned on the promise of expelling Indian soldiers stationed in Maldives, which he said was a threat to the country’s national security. The soldiers are now being replaced by Indian civilians.

Source(s): sun.mv

Continue Reading

News

China’s Shandong province donates 10 civil vehicles to Maldives

FI

Published

on

By

The eastern Chinese province of Shandong has donated 10 civil vehicles to the Maldives.

The donation was handed over by Chinese Ambassador Wang Lixin to the Maldives’ Local Government Minister Adam Shareef Umar on Thursday evening.

Wang wrote on X that she is very pleased to handover the donation.

“I believe those vehicles will help a lot in collecting waste and other public works in different cities, and make Maldives a more beautiful place,” she said.

Meanwhile, Adam Shareef expressed profound gratitude for the generous donation.

“This meaningful gesture symbolizes the supportive friendship between our two nations,” he wrote on X.

Source(s): sun.mv

Continue Reading

News

Government aims to expand Aasandha service to UAE and Thailand this year

FI

Published

on

By

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu says his administration aims to expand the services of the public health insurance scheme – Aasandha – to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Thailand within this year.

In an interview to Public Service Media (PSM) which aired on Thursday night, President Muizzu said that administrative arrangements to expand the services to the two countries are going ahead at a fast pace.

“We therefore have high expectations it can begin this year,” he said.

He did not provide any details.

In a press briefing on January 13, following a state visit to China, President Muizzu said his administration plans to expand Aasandha services to countries that offer better quality medical care services, including the UAE and Thailand.

“In the future, Aasandha will not be restricted to medical facilities in specific countries in a specific region, but will be expanded to countries that offer better services such as UAE and Thailand,” he said, while speaking to reporters from the Velana International Airport.

He also announced plans to provide Aasandha coverage for accommodation as well.

Aasandha services are currently available overseas in select medical facilities in neighboring Sri Lanka and India.

The decision to expand Aasandha comes amid concern over the growing burden on the state budget for the provision of the service. The cost of Aasandha has been growing yearly. On Wednesday, Social and Family Development Minister Dr. Aishath Shiham said the expenditure on Aasandha had increased by 60 percent over the last five years.

She said the administration is studying different models in an effort to switch to one that minimizes wastage.

MVR 1.9 billion is allocation in this year’s budget for Aasandha services.

Source(s): sun.mv

Continue Reading

Trending