How Soccer Brings People Together in Refugee Shelters
Eighteen years old, a refugee from Yemen, and now one of the most standout players on the field during the Refugee Cup in Dongen. Khaled al Akbari’s story shows how sports can be a place where dreams stay alive, even under circumstances that are anything but ordinary.
Khaled lives in the emergency shelter in Kaatsheuvel, but travels all the way to Amsterdam three times a week to train with the DWS soccer club, which won the national championship back in 1964. His dedication is paying off. This season, his team, DWS Under-23, won the title. On the field, it’s immediately obvious that he has talent: he’s comfortable on the ball, and his 30-meter passes find his teammates flawlessly.
His ambition is great. Khaled dreams of a career as a professional soccer player, and with the down-to-earth conviction of someone who has been through a lot, he says that nothing is impossible.
Soccer as an outlet
For most of the approximately eighty participating refugees, it’s less about a future as a pro and more about being able to escape their daily reality for a while. Aubeed Daouayry, a manager at TM Opvang & Projectmanagement—the company that organized the tournament—explains that for many players, soccer primarily offers a moment of respite. While playing, worries about a residence permit are pushed to the back of their minds for a little while.
TM Opvang & Projectmanagement manages refugee reception in various municipalities, including Dongen, Kaatsheuvel, and Someren. The idea for the Refugee Cup came about after a previous indoor soccer tournament in which refugees from several municipalities played together, and the company saw how much enthusiasm that tournament generated.
Connection Between Cultures
The tournament brings together players from very different backgrounds: Iraqi, Turkish, Moroccan, and Syrian participants come together on the field. Daouayry, for example, tells the story of a Somali boy in Kaatsheuvel who now speaks Spanish well, purely thanks to playing with his Colombian teammates.
Finding a suitable venue for the tournament turned out to be no easy task, as many soccer fields need time to recover after a long season. Dongen, however, was happy to offer to host the event. Councilman René Jansen kicked off the tournament after a brief welcome speech in English, emphasizing that this tournament aligns with the way asylum seekers have already been actively involved in the community on numerous occasions. Previously, they had participated in NLDoet, helped with scouting for people with disabilities, and were visible at the Oranjepark Festival and local soccer clubs such as DVVC and Olympia’60.
According to the alderman, the situation is even more challenging when it comes to paid work, although a first step has now been taken by compiling a skills inventory to identify what people are capable of and willing to do.
A friendly atmosphere, a competitive finish
The matches themselves took place in a relaxed atmosphere. After fouls, players helped each other back to their feet, and because the games were played seven-on-seven without an offside rule, the tension remained manageable. In the end, the title didn’t go to Kaatsheuvel, which finished third, but to Woerden. For Khaled, the dream of a professional career remains his top priority for now, and anyone who sees him play on the field can almost believe that he’ll actually make it there.
