In the Yemen civil war. The football player in the country at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula can be characterized but not encourage. You train hard and have made it to the Asian Cup.
For over three years, the bombs fall in the Yemen. Millions of people are within the country on the run. The sport has made the war: The national football League was forced to take a break. Also, international games are held in Yemen for security reasons. However, has qualified the national team of the country for the AFC Asian Cup 2019.
Determined to have set the players about all the political differences. In spite of the political turmoil in Yemen, the Team represents all regions of the country: the militants of the Houthi-controlled North, as well as the South, in which the legitimate government has its seat.
So all the citizens of the country cheered together as the team for the Asian Cup a qualified. “The Yemenis have forgotten in this Moment, the bombs and guns, as well as their Concerns,” says Bashir, Sinan, the President of the Yemeni Association for sports media, in an interview with DW. “Gloom and violence were gone; for a Moment the celebrations that took place across the country. All Yemenis were enthusiastic about their team.”
Change of location in the sign of the policy
The ultimate skill game (2:1 against Nepal) graduated from the team in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The Land to be used for the Yemeni football Federation during the war as the fallback station. There the Team trained in the run-up to the Asia championship. In Doha, it also participated in the friendship games against Lebanon, Palestine and Tajikistan.
Can destroy a country Yemen: A recording from the capital Sanaa
In November, the Training was held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. As the player wanted, then again to Doha travel, introduced Riyadh, according to media reports, cross. The Saudis did not want to leave the Yemenis back to Qatar. The reason is that Saudi Arabia and Qatar are deeply at odds with each other. In front of one and a half years, imposed in Saudi Arabia for a trade boycott over the small neighbouring state. The Yemeni team dodged a question in the middle of December to Malaysia.
However, the young players are accustomed to frequent changes of location, says the Yemeni Minister of youth and sports, Nayef al-Bakri, in the DW-Interview. “We also had for the youth team already in training camps in various Arab countries, for example, in Egypt and in Qatar.” There is no political pressure on the team. “We train in a normal Camp, even if a state is boycotting the other.”
Sporting Odyssey
Otherwise it looks Bashir, Sinan. “After the end of the training, in Riyadh, was, in fact, provided the return to Doha. But then we were slowed down for political reasons and could not return to Doha. What is the benefit it should bring to the Yemeni Team in Malaysia to train?”
Most of the Asian Cup participating teams have a training camp on the Arabian Peninsula, not least, to get accustomed to the local climatic conditions.
Hart on the Ball: scene from a friendly match with Yemen against Saudi-Arabia
According to surprised to Sinan about moving to Malaysia was: “The Yemeni Team is the first and the last victims of political tensions. The course also has an impact on the performance. If you don’t want our team to be trained in Doha, to give her a small Camp in Riyadh or any other Saudi city.”
Story and dream
The Fans support their Team at its best. The Yemeni University designed at the same time, a campaign with the Hashtag “Jemen_die Geschichte_Asien-the dream”. Yemen, the Embassy, despite the current war and the attendant destruction continues to be a part of the present and of history. And the qualification for the Asia championship is already a dream, as always, the result at the end also look. “The campaign is about to win the greatest possible support for the team,” sport expert Sinan.
Similarly, it is hoped that the young Jeminiten all the political tensions and differences behind the Team unite. “We are aware of the Potential of the Team in this respect”, says Minister of sport al-Bakri. “It could bring all of the Yemenis, in the domestic as well as abroad.”
By the way, the crew have a message out to the population, as well as to the policy: “Let the guns be silent and have a reasonable dialogue and peace in its place.”
“Never give up”
The Yemenis makes you fit for the Asian Cup: coach Ján Kocian
A month before the start of the Championships, the Asian football had Association together with the Fans for each of the participating team has a Slogan picked out. The Yemeni team is: “never Give up” – a nod to the perseverance of the team, held to in spite of all the adversity in his athletic goals.
Now the Team is playing in group D along with Iraq, Iran, and Vietnam. The Fans, it is clear that your Team will have due to the irregular preparations difficult. In addition, the players had to cope with recently is still a change of coach. At the end of October the former Bundesliga joined Bekele-professional Jan Kocian from Slovakia, the place of the Ethiopian father Ashenafi.
For the Yemenis the Asia championship is a huge challenge. But they are determined to offer the people of your country are beautiful games, that they forget the thoughts of war and death.