GAZA, May 26, 2018 (WAFA) - The 2018 Rachel Corrie Gaza Sport Initiative kicked off with the Rachel Corrie Ramadan Football Tournament for Young Men last week and the Juniors tournament scheduled to kick off this weekend, according to a press release. Both are scheduled to conclude on June 4.

This year’s theme is the Right of Return, in honor of the Great March of Return protests that have captivated the world’s attention this spring. Participating teams are named for towns and villages of historical Palestine as a point of convergence between Rachel Corrie as a human rights defender and the Gaza refugees‘ legacy in resisting injustice, said the press release from the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice.

In an inspiring yet sobering moment during the opening ceremony for the Young Men‘s tournament, Palestinian cyclist Alaa al-Dali, who lost his right leg after being shot by an Israeli sniper while protesting near the Gaza border fence on March 30, opened the games by kicking a soccer ball while supporting himself on crutches.

Organizers on the ground commented, "Alaa today represents all the injured athletes who participated in The Great Return March, and will be a living symbol for all crimes which the Israeli Army commits towards the Palestinian talented athletes."

M.K.