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AEI-Open Windows

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Showing 41 - 60 from 65 entries

Hebron (Khaled Alkawasmeh) – There has been a recent increase in the spread of sports cafes and the popularity of international sports team. This raised a question, why this happened? Why dont Palestinian people follow the local sport and dont follow with local clubs?
We went on a visit to one of the Sport Cafe, Fwanees cafe, the place where the supporters of the royal team Real Madrid and the catalan team Barcelona. In a sportive night during the football match between Barcelona and Celta Vigo, we took the oportunity to get to know the fans at the sport Cafe who where in a big number coming to watch the football match, who differ in the teams that they support on the Arab and international level. We interviewed the leader of the fans that support the Royal team Real Madrid Tareq Al-Tamimi, a computer Engineer and hold a master degree in Information systems, he teaches at Palestine Polytichnic University, to learn about this issue :

Q. What do you think of sports cafes? Why do you prefer to frequent these places?

A. It's a good idea since it's the only sanctuary for sports fans. It's the alternative to following Palestinian sports, which have suffered a lot due to the situation in the region, and perhaps the negligent staff or their inability to navigate sports properly. The follower of the Palestinian sport in the last six years notice the weaknesses its suffer from, and the bad results our teams have, so we support the Spanish league in particular, other European and international games and the Egyptian league. We prefer the café due to the availability of big screens that broadcast exclusive games, which can only be watched on pre-paid channels that most of us cannot afford to buy. So we come to these places to entertain ourselves.

Q. What do think of Palestinian soccer?

A. We basically don't have a soccer league. Negligent officials have created weak teams with disappointing results. Additionally, athletic clubs and unions suffer from bad planning and supervision, which in turn fosters greater slackness of the people on those teams, and the bad performance and sportive spirit of the audience, I am not interested to watch a football game in the stadium where a fight during a game started between the audience.

Q. Although the game you are watching is between Barcia and Celta Viga, I noticed that you are divided into two groups – one supports Real Madrid while the other supports Barcelona. So how do you feel as opposing fans?

A. We all feel a sense of togetherness and brotherhood despite the fact that we are fans of different teams. Our relationship is controlled by a sporting spirit. If our team loses we congratulate the other team. Discussion circles are formed to analyze the game, to point out the weaknesses and strengths of the teams and to gain new information to enrich our sports culture. Most of the time our sports talk lasts until after midnight because we enjoy the exchange of ideas.

Q. What do you think of the Palestinian Soccer Union?

A. Frankly, I didn't notice any activities in the northern districts. Since we consider sport as something important for Palestinians, we blame the union for this failure, and for allowing differences among its members to have a negative impact on the effectiveness of soccer in Palestine and its participating athletes. An extreme change is needed to work in the systems and mechanisms of the soccer union and federation. We are all wishing to have a good sport performance in Palestine and a better sportive spirit.

Q. What is your impression about sports media?

A. Written sports media competes with the most developed countries in this field. I believe it is at a similar level compared internationally because our press is free, speaks boldly, reflects what is happening, and with a high level of transparency of critics. However, I have reservations about the Palestine Satellite Channel, as its performance is not convincing to us as a sports audience. We excuse them for lack of material and hope they develop sports programs in the future.
By Khaled Alkawasmeh
Member of the Palestinian sport journalists league

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