WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2014 SPORTS Palestinian football pays high price for Gaza war GAZA CITY: Palestinian footballer Ahed Zaqqut was territories, where it has been played since the 1920s during separate protests against the Gaza war. for Palestinian football. In May, celebrations erupted a local legend. Hanging up his boots after a stellar during the time of the British mandate. They were both 19 and were shot dead last week across the Palestinian territories after their national career as a midfielder, he went on to coach in Gaza The best footballers go onto become stars in the in clashes with Israeli troops. Mohammed was a team qualified for their maiden Asian Cup appear- until an Israeli missile slammed into his home. The Arab world, playing for teams in Jordan and Saudi bright hope for Palestinian football. He was even ance with a 1-0 win over Philippines in the Maldives. 49-year-old was killed outright, robbing Gaza of one Arabia, for example, but local stars are much loved selected to meet FIFA president Joseph Blatter three The win booked them a place in Asian Cup tourna- of its best-known players and most well-respected heroes in Gaza and the West Bank. months ago when he came to visit the West Bank. ment which will be held in Australia in January. coaches. “I heard an enormous explosion. I rushed He was just about to sign with Ramallah side It was a historic achievement for a team ranked out of the bathroom and saw a cloud of dust,” his PLAYING PLATINI Shabab al-Amari, having played for the club’s youth 85 by FIFA and which has been hobbled by long- wife Mayada told AFP of the day when a missile hit Zaqqut himself hung up his boots in the 1990s team, a team official said. Getting a professional standing Israeli travel restrictions, as well as arrests their Gaza City home on July 30. after several career highlights which included a league contract nets a young player a salary of and killings. “Then I knew that the rocket had fallen on us. I friendly against a French side headed by former $1,000 a month and can rise to as much as $2,000 for But just weeks after its crowning achievement, saw Ahed, his head and chest were soaked in blood. I French international Michel Platini, now president of the best players at the West Bank’s 12 professional Palestinian football has fallen to a new low. couldn’t stop crying. The neighbors came and took UEFA, his wife said. “In 1993, he played a friendly in clubs. “The war Israel is waging against the The war broke out on July 8 and paused him to hospital but he was already dead.” Jericho between a Palestinian team and a French Palestinian people spares no one. The sports family in Monday at the start of a three-day ceasefire to Although Zaqqut never played internationally, he team captained by Michel Platini,” she said. the West Bank as well as in the Gaza Strip are among allow negotiators in Cairo to thrash out a perma- was a local Palestinian celebrity and just one of a He went on to set up the first football training those living through a real humanitarian catastro- nent truce deal. number of sportsmen killed as a result of Israel’s ground in Gaza with his team winning the local phe,” said Abdelmajid Hijjeh, the association’s secre- It has already delayed the start of the league bloody five-week confrontation with the Islamist championship in 2000. But the intensive fighting in tary general.As well as the deaths, the PFA says championship which was due to begin August 20. Hamas movement in Gaza. The Palestinian Football Gaza has laid waste to most of the pitches used by dozens of players have been wounded, sidelining No fixtures will be played until the warring sides Association (PFA) says it has not yet assessed the local teams to train. The war has also made its deadly them for the season - which has already been post- agree on a permanent end to the Gaza conflict, total cost from the war. But several members of the effects felt in the West Bank.Aspiring teenaged foot- poned indefinitely due to the fighting - and that which has so far claimed 1,940 Palestinian lives and footballing community have been killed along with ballers Mohammed Qatari and Udai Jaber were hop- numerous sports facilities have been damaged. 67 on the Israeli side. countless fans in a territory where people are pas- ing to begin playing for a Ramallah-based club this “Israel’s war against Gaza has disrupted all sports sionate followers of “the beautiful game”. year. But the bright footballing careers ahead of TRIUMPH TO TRAGEDY fixtures. We’re waiting for a ceasefire before we can Football is hugely popular across the Palestinian them was cut short when they were killed last week The war comes at a particularly devastating time go ahead and pick new teams,” said Hijjeh. — AFP Predators circle Man City in English Premier League LONDON: With Manchester United resurgent and big-name signings at Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, Manchester City will face a battle to hold onto their Premier League crown in the 2014-15 season. Liverpool’s late-season collapse enabled City to power to the title in May, but the campaign that gets under way on Saturday will look very dif- ferent to the one that preceded it. Luis Suarez, last season’s outstanding player, has left Liverpool for Barcelona after creating yet anoth- er biting storm by sinking his teeth into the shoul- der of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup. After a wretched 2013-14, United have a new manager at the helm in the straight-talking Louis van Gaal, who quickly won over the club’s fans dur- ing a successful pre-season tour of the United Craig Gordon in action in this file photo. States. Didier Drogba is back at Chelsea. Cesc Fabregas Deila looking forward to is back in the Premier League, at Chelsea rather than his former club Arsenal whom he left for Barcelona. Frank Lampard, who left Chelsea last season, is now defend Celtic title opener a Manchester City player. Arsenal, meanwhile, will start the season with three World Cup-winners in GLASGOW: Celtic manager Ronny Deila is and be in a cup final, so we have a lot to fight their ranks and having pulled off another transfer looking forward to getting his first taste of the for this season.” Celtic will have to face St coup with a £30 million ($50.5 million, 37.8 million Scottish Premiership as they start the defence Johnstone without talismanic keeper Fraser euros) swoop for Chile forward Alexis Sanchez. of their title with a trip to Perth to take on St Forster, who left the club to join English “It will be interesting to watch, the Premier Johnstone today. The match against the Premiership side Southampton for £10million League, because it looks like the big teams will all Scottish Cup holders will be Deila’s first (12.5million euros, $17.5million) on Saturday. be very strong,” predicted Arsenal manager Arsene domestic match in charge of the Glasgow The English keeper, who set a new Scottish Wenger, whose side outclassed City 3-0 in Sunday’s LONDON: In this file picture taken on March 29, 2014 Manchester City’s Spanish midfielder giants and he is desperate to start the cam- record for clean sheets last season, is likely to Community Shield. City have signed six new players, David Silva celebrates scoring a goal during the English Premier League football match. —AFP paign with a win as he aims to lead his side to be replaced in goal by former Hearts and but it was not until Monday, when the £32 million their fourth title in a row. Sunderland keeper Craig Gordon, who was capture of French centre-back Eliaquim Mangala thanks to a £90 million splurge partly financed by means it will be even more difficult for clubs like It is a start of a hectic schedule for Celtic handed a contract by Celtic in the summer fol- from Porto was finally confirmed, that they truly the Uruguayan’s sale. Everton and Tottenham Hotspur to close the gap on with the Hoops welcoming Dundee United to lowing two years out of the game with an flexed their muscles. Sanchez’s arrival should give Arsenal greater cut- the division’s elite. Parkhead for the unfurling of the league flag injury. ting edge and last season’s FA Cup success means Tottenham will hope that new coach Mauricio on Saturday before a trip to Slovenia to take He may be joined by Aleksander Tonev CHELSEA STRONGER that they must no longer bear the burden of a nine- Pochettino can work some of the magic that saw on NK Maribor following their Champions with the Bulgarian winger expected to sign for With key players such as Vincent Kompany, Pablo year trophy drought. Southampton achieve a surprise eighth-place finish League reprieve. Celtic were held to a 3-3 draw the club on loan from Aston Villa. Zabaleta and Sergio Aguero short of fitness after United have also invested heavily, signing Luke under his stewardship last season. It is an achieve- and managed a narrow 1-0 win on their visits Elsewhere, top of the table Dundee United taking time off after the World Cup, Manuel Shaw and Ander Herrera for a combined fee of ment the south-coast club will struggle to replicate, to McDiarmid Park last season and Deila will attempt to build on their flying start when Pellegrini’s side are unlikely to be firing on all cylin- around £60 million, but Van Gaal is likely to prove with Adam Lallana, Shaw, Rickie Lambert, Dejan knows his side will have to be at their best to they take on Motherwell.