ADEN, Yemen, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- In a country exhausted by war, where millions have been driven to hunger and despair, a group of young Yemenis has emerged from the ranks of the war-wounded to bring back hope.
15 Yemeni amputee players are making their international debut at the Asian Cup qualifiers in Jakarta, Indonesia in November. The tournament will decide who advances to the 2026 Amputee Football World Cup in Costa Rica next August.
Young Yemenis who lost their limbs in the decade-long conflict refused to give in. Instead, they formed Yemen's first national amputee football team, turning pain into perseverance and opening a new chapter in the country's sporting history.
The Yemen team shares its group with Uzbekistan, Japan, Malaysia and Iran, and will face Uzbekistan in its opening match.
Head coach Nabil Makram said he hopes the team will represent Yemen honorably despite limited preparation, which included only a brief training camp and a few friendlies on the western coast.
The team was founded in the southern province of Taiz, and officially launched last December after local registration and approval from the International Amputee Football Federation.
Makram relies on the players' enthusiasm, saying their passion to return to sport and the team's collective support are key to achieving positive results in their first international appearance.
He added that people with disabilities in Yemen are deprived of sporting opportunities and revealed his plan to establish local amputee football teams in several provinces to expand participation.
Al-Buraihi, a young man in his mid-20s from Taiz, lost his left leg in August 2016 after a landmine explosion. His passion for football drove him to lay the foundation for Yemen's first amputee football team.
"I've loved football since childhood. After the landmine accident, I fell into despair, and my life completely changed. But I didn't give up," Al-Buraihi told Xinhua. "I tried to adapt to my new condition and looked for a way to return to life."
He recalled that seeing a video online showing amputees playing football reignited his determination.
"That video became my motivation. I started learning the rules of the game, reached out to other amputees in Taiz, and we formed a local team - later expanding to other provinces," said Al-Buraihi.
By December 2024, the team obtained an official license from Yemen's Ministry of Youth and Sports, and in August 2025, it was formally recognized by the International Amputee Football Federation.
"We faced many challenges - lack of support, lack of attention - but we overcame them all," Al-Buraihi said. "We now have a team that has held training camps and is participating in an international tournament for the first time. We're determined to qualify for next year's World Cup."
He stressed that "willpower is everything. Losing a limb isn't the real loss - losing determination is."
Makram expressed his hope that the team will achieve good results in its debut and raise Yemen's name high, adding that this participation will also shed light on the suffering of people with disabilities in Yemen.
"Football is a common outlet for Yemenis amid war, conflict, and political divisions," Yemeni sports journalist Mansour Al-Dubai told Xinhua. "It has proven its power to unite Yemenis regardless of their differences, something seen every time a national team participates in a tournament."
He described the creation of the amputee team and its quick participation in an international championship as "a significant step, showing that Yemen is full of determined talent, and that this group has the right to challenge disability and play football."
"What matters now is gaining experience and learning the mechanisms of participation in such events to benefit in the future," said Al-Dubai.
Despite its difficult conditions and delayed financial support, Al-Dubai believes the team is promising.
"Yemenis have always turned adversity into opportunity, and this team is a living example of that spirit," he said, "Yemenis can seize it and raise their country's name high." ■
