One family behind the West Bank soccer team

Palestinian farmer Yousef Abu Hammad created enough boys for a soccer team. Over the years, his 12 sons have formed the core of what is now the top-ranked team in the West Bank. The players of Wadi al-Nees consistently defeat richer clubs and believe their strong family bonds are a secret to their success. Wadi al-Nees heads the West Bank’s top league which has 12 teams.

Soccer serves as a release from the pressures of their restricted lives, high youth unemployment clouds their futures and Israel’s military occupation adds further constraints. It seems like soccer plays as a distraction as well as a stress reliever to young Palestinians taking their frustrations out on the field, in turn i think it made them a top ranked team in the West Bank. Could soccer be the answer of conflicts in other countries? Could this also distract or relieve stress among the youth in countries like Egypt or South Sudan from conflict/uprising?

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.573836

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