Sport helping displaced Lebanese living in stadium to cope
More than a million people have been forced to flee their homes in southern Lebanon due to fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. As many
More than a million people have been forced to flee their homes in southern Lebanon due to fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. As many shelter in Beirut stadiums, sport is sometimes a welcome distraction. Hassan Seif al-Din never expected that, at the age of 65, he would be teaching martial arts to children in a football stadium in Beirut. But these are not normal times. The coach fled to Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium from Dahiyeh, one of the capital's southern suburbs, along with thousands of others. He now lives in one of the many rows of tents set up in the venue. The Middle East was plunged into fresh fighting on February 28 when the United States and Israel attacked Iran and the conflict spread into Lebanon just days later. In April, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations said that more than a million people in Lebanon had been displaced as Israel has bombed Hezbollah targets in the country. Hassan is just one of them. Hassan Seif al-Din was forced to flee from a southern Beirut suburb Image: Sara Hteit/DW "There was so much bombing around us, so we escaped and ended up displaced here at the Sports City," Hassan told DW. After he arrived, he was determined to maintain his martial arts routine. "I was training here on my own for two to three hours a day," he said. As he did so, he noticed children around watching him. "I thought to myself, 'let me bring them together, train them, and bring some joy into their lives through this sport, help them forget what's happening in the city, teach them how to switch off for a while and build their strength — physically and mentally.'" Adnan is one of the children who has been learning a new skill.
"I really love how the coach teaches us, especially how to defend myself and build confidence," he told DW. "If someone attacked me in the street and tried to kidnap me, I'd know how to defend myself." Sports as a distraction There's more to it than self-defense for Hassan. It is about giving young people something else to think about than bombs, the homes they are missing and their normal lives. It is about giving them something to look forward to. "The displaced people living in the tents carry their own trauma," he said. "(During training) they're away from everything happening outside, enjoying being together and training with me. Having a coach and a team is something they never had before, so they take to it naturally. They've become like family. "It means so much to them to forget the pain and everything happening outside this pitch. They're happy. Sometimes they will come and wake me up saying, 'Let's go, coach, time to train.'" Tents have been set up in Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium to house people who fled from southern Lebanon Image: Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu Agency/IMAGO Football clubs chip in with support The stadium has long been the home of the Lebanon national team and the venue has witnessed some of the country's greatest sporting moments, such as a famous win over South Korea in 2011 during World Cup qualification. Older residents still talk of 1975, when Pele played a friendly there in front of more than 35,000 fans. The stadium reflects the country's troubled history to an extent.
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