WEST BANK: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Palestinian Olympic soccer team beats its Italian counterpart 3-0 in a friendly match in the West Bank town of Dura

Record ID: 560458

  • Title: WEST BANK: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Palestinian Olympic soccer team beats its Italian counterpart 3-0 in a friendly match in the West Bank town of Dura
  • Date: 15th June 2011
  • Summary: SLATEI NFORMATION
  • Embargoed: 30th June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: West bank, West bank
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA6GEHWANDSXDVE59LBLZN2F933
  • Story Text: Thousands of Palestinian soccer fans broke into cheers and celebration after their Olympic team reached a 3-0 victory against its Italian counterpart in a friendly face-off on Sunday (June 12). The match was the first international meeting to be hosted at the new Dura Stadium in the West Bank.
    Jibril Rajoub, the chairman of the Palestine Football Association, told Reuters Television the match was a reminder to the Palestinian people that they are not alone.
    "This is a political message for the Palestinian people that they are not alone and that they deserve their independence -- they deserve that the world should work towards ending this filthy, monstrous and inhumane occupation. I believe it is an Italian message stemming from the hearts of the Italian people to the Palestinian people," Rajoub said.
    In 1982 Italy's National team dedicated its World Cup victory to Palestine.
    In the past, the Palestinian National team played all its matches with international teams overseas, usually in the Gulf, because soccer's world governing body, FIFA, deemed the Palestinian territories unsafe for hosting foreign teams.
    The Italian team is the second foreign Olympic team to play in the Palestinian territories since FIFA's decision was reversed.
    The Palestinian soccer team appeared well equipped against its skilled visitors.
    The first half ended with one goal scored for the Palestinian team, and shortly after the second half kicked-off, the local team scored a second.
    In the 74th minute of the match, Palestinian Ali Khatib kicked in a third goal to seal the victory.
    More than 25 thousand fans packed the newly opened stadium and their joyous cheers and applause reverberated across the pitch.
    One fan, Ajnadin Namoura, said she wanted to show her local team support.
    "It is only recently that we started to have stadiums in Palestine. This is the first stadium we have had here in Dura and we wanted to come and support our team to become better and to compete internationally," Namoura said.
    Palestinian soccer has seen a revival in the West Bank since August 2007 with the re-launch of a semi-professional league that was suspended after a violent Palestinian uprising against Israel erupted in 2000.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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