Saturday, 7 June 2014 00:00
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A 26 member football team from the Sri Lanka Football Association visited Palestine recently to participate in the Football Tournament organised by the Higher Council of Sports and Youth of the State of Palestine with the collaboration of Palestine Football Association and the Olympic Committee of Palestine to make the ‘Nakba’ commemoration.
The Nakba or Catastrophe is marked by Palestinians throughout the world every 15 May. It represents a historic incident where approximately 800,000 Palestinians or 67% of the Palestinian people by 1948 became refugees and 418 Palestinian villages were depopulated and/or destroyed.
Football teams from Pakistan, Jordan and Palestine also participated in the above tournament.
At a reception held at the Representative Office, Siraj Ahamed, the Attaché welcomed the team. Speaking on the occasion he said that “Sri Lanka has consistently stood for the cause of Palestine and the two countries enjoy very close and cordial relations. Participation of our football team in the above tournament is also a reflection of the strong bonds of friendship, solidarity and goodwill between the two countries.”
The Team Manager Balendra Anthony, on behalf of the Sri Lanka Football Association, thanked the Attaché for the invitation extended and the reception accorded.
The team also visited Mahinda Rajapaksa Road in Palestine.
The members of the Palestine Football Association along with the staff of the Representative Office also participated at the reception.
