14 Established 1961 Sports Wednesday, April 18, 2018 Football ‘miracle’ offers shared goal for war-torn Yemen ‘Qualification has brought Yemenis together’ ADEN: A “miracle” winning streak has propelled Yemen’s FOOTBALL, NOT POLITICS senior and youth football teams to the Asian Cup, catch- Paradoxically, Yemeni football has benefited from the ing the war-torn nation’s attention and offering a common war, with senior players relocated to a training camp in goal to a divided country. Qualification is a first ever for Qatar, which has the most up-to-date facilities as it builds the senior team, currently based in Qatar, and a rare up to hosting the 2022 World Cup. Abd al-Salam al- achievement for the under-16s who still train in Yemen. Saadi, a coach in Sanaa, sees another key factor: “The “Qualification has brought players have not been drawn Yemenis together-they’re into politics.” Yemen’s war doing us proud,” said Ahmed has left infrastructure, homes, Sabahi, a fan in the southern schools and ports in ruins. port city of Aden. “All Dozens of stadiums have Yemenis are behind their It has helped been bombed or turned into team,” he said. military camps for various Yemen’s war pitting pro- put smile on the armed factions. government forces supported For football fans back by a Saudi-led coalition home, Yemen’s successful against Iran-backed Shiite face of youths qualification offers a glimmer Huthi rebels entered its of hope and a distraction fourth year in March. from everyday life in what The conflict has left nearly was the Arab world’s poorest 10,000 people dead, tens of thousands wounded and cre- country even before the war. It has “helped put a smile on ated what the United Nations says is the world’s worst the face of Yemeni youths, who need reasons to be happy humanitarian crisis, rife with once forgotten diseases like and to forget”, said Saleh Hanash, another fan in Aden. cholera and diphtheria. “We hope the team will honour More than half of Yemen’s 27-million-population are aged Yemen and give Yemenis some relief,” said Sabahi. The under 18. According to the UN children’s agency senior team beat Nepal 2-1 on March 27, reaching the UNICEF, more than 1,500 children have been killed in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup to be contested in January-February conflict, while hundreds of minors have been recruited in the Emirates-for the first time in Yemen’s history. into militias. The U-16 tournament is to take place in Malaysia in SANNA: Yemeni youth take part in a football match as part of the local league in the capital Sanaa on April 11, September-October. To build the youth team, selectors ‘BRING BACK THE SPIRIT’ 2018. A shock winning streak has propelled Yemen’s youth and men’s football teams to the Asian Cup, captur- travelled the length of the country, including war zones After a three-year hiatus, football is making a return to ing the beleaguered nation’s attention and offering a common goal to a divided country. — AFP and sectors controlled by rival factions. Ranked 125 in Aden, which Yemen’s internationally-recognised govern- the world by the sport’s governing body FIFA, Yemen’s ment has declared its provisional capital while Sanaa senior team has never won a single match in the Gulf remains in rebel hands. Cup against its neighbours since the competition was The national league has been suspended but football handful of fans seated on green plastic chairs as two clubs stands reduced to a heap of rubble. Ahmed Hussein launched in 1970. Yemen’s media used to congratulate matches are being played in the southern port city, with battled it out on a dirt pitch beside a wall pocked by Husseini, head of Aden’s main sports organisation, admit- the team for an “honourable defeat” if they avoided a local tournaments organised between districts. shellfire. “Maybe that’s because Yemenis are preoccupied ted it was a tall order: “In the shadow of war we are try- hammering. Asian Cup qualification was hailed as noth- Football in Yemen “doesn’t gather the crowds you see with securing their basic needs,” he said, glancing over at ing, as much as possible, to bring back the spirit and ing less than a “miracle”. next door in Gulf states”, said Fadel al-Wasabi, one of a a nearby stadium, bombed out and filled with debris, its adapt our lives.” —AFP Unique Rashid will Ideas about women have big impact on in sport must IPL, says Moody change: FA official MUMBAI: “Unique” Afghan leg spinner Rashid Khan will have a major impact on this year’s Indian Premier LONDON: A “sea change” in perceptions is need- League for the Hyderabad franchise, coach Tom Moody ed to convince girls they can play any sport they has predicted. Rashid has made rapid strides since want, says a Football Association official as interest making his international debut in October 2015 as a 17- in women’s sport soars. England’s women foot- year-old, in February becoming the youngest to top the ballers reached the 2015 World Cup semi-finals and International Cricket Council’s rankings for bowlers in the same stage at last year’s European the Twenty20 and 50-overs format. Championship-attracting a peak TV audience of Sunrisers Hyderabad splurged 40 million rupees four million people. ($609,524) at last year’s auction to land the unheralded The country’s women cricketers and rugby play- leg-spinner from Afghanistan, where cricket is highly ers have also enjoyed notable success on the global popular but sporting facilities are pitifully inadequate stage in recent years, with Lord’s packed for after decades of war. He saw an intense bidding war in England’s win against India last year in the this year’s auction before Hyderabad retained him with Women’s World Cup final. Marzena Bogdanowicz, their right-to-match option for a whopping 90 million head of marketing and commercial for women’s rupees ($1.37 million), more than double what they paid football at the FA, told a panel in London dis- for his services a year earlier. cussing unlocking the potential of women in sport, “Rashid is a pretty unique cricketer and he’s had a that she had been struck by a story about a young lot of success with us last year,” Moody, 52, told girl who wanted to take drastic measures so she Reuters. “He’s gone from strength to strength in the HYDERABAD: File photo shows Sunrisers Hyderabad cricketer Rashid Khan (C) celebrates with teammates the could play football. “I read on social media the various tournaments that he has played around the wicket of Mumbai Indians Ben Cutting during the 2018 Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match other day this little girl came home and said to her world and also when he’s representing his country.” between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in mother ‘I want to be a boy mummy’ and this carried It was only in 2013 that Afghanistan, mostly made up Hyderabad. — AFP on for a whole week,” she said. of players who picked up the game in refugee camps in “Then finally the mum realised actually the only neighbouring Pakistan, became an Associate Member. reason she wanted to be a boy was because she They are currently a Full Member, scheduled to play League. “He’s an important piece to our puzzle given was a big loss, the franchise had moved on and are wanted to play football. “The little girl managed to their maiden test match against India in June, and also that there’s an element of mystery around him and he focused on providing Williamson the best support they find a programme for football for girls. This is an won the qualifying tournament for the 50-over World has that real potency as a wicket-taker. So he’s impor- can, Moody said. “It’s a very easy transition to be hon- instance where we can help the club change the Cup in England and Wales next year. tant,” Moody, who played eight tests and 76 ODIs for est,” said the Australian, who has also coached Sri perception it is OK for girls to play football. Rashid has played a major role in Afghanistan’s Australia, said in a telephone interview. Lanka’s national side. “Kane is the captain of experi- “It is just amazing that is still happening and we ascent, and last month become the fastest to take 100 Hyderabad, who lead the IPL standings with three ence, given he has captained international teams. He’s are slowly changing that. This girl is now playing wickets in ODIs, bettering the mark of Australia fast wins from as many matches, lost captain David Warner got a real understanding of leadership and captaincy. for her local club, she is confident and bold and got bowler Mitchell Starc by eight matches. after the Australia opening batsman was banned late “And like any player captain must be true to them- new friends.” He is a proven strike bowler and has made a name last month due to the ball-tampering scandal in South selves and true to their strength and Kane will be doing for himself in Twenty20 leagues around the world, Africa but New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has exactly that and we will encourage him to do it his ‘MARGINALISED’ proving his worth in the IPL and Australia’s Big Bash eased into that role.