They Need to Sell This Kit as a Fundraiser
Last year, Jozy Altidore added another layer to the story of the Haiti earthquake. His appearances on CNN not only echoed the concerns of many with loved ones affected by the tragedy but also extended it to a sporting story.
Presented as a member of the US men’s national team as well as a player from Hull City via Villarreal, Altidore’s presence amongst the celebrities and government officials prompted those covering football to cover Haiti as well. One year on, the sad anniversary remains a football tale–but this one is more about what’s been happening on the pitch.
The unofficial Haitian men’s national amputee soccer team played a friendly Monday evening against a local amputee side named Zaryen to mark the one year anniversary of the natural disaster. Both teams were formed after the earthquake and comprise just some of the reported 4000 Haitians who became amputees due to the earthquake. Here are some large quality photos of the players before and during play. Zaryen players are in the blue. The national side won the contest 1-0.
And the name Zaryen supposedly is a Haitian Creole word for a tarantula–a spider known to carry on despite the loss of a leg and with the ability to regrow a lost limb.
The next question you might have is–why is the Haiti national amputee team dressed in FC Dallas gear? Well, the team was organized and has been funded largely by the International Institute of SPORT, which is based out of Arlington, TX.
The organization paid for the Haiti squad to travel to Argentina for the Amputee World Cup and FC Dallas agreed to kit out the team for the event.
After the World Cup, the Texas-based group took the national team through the Southwest this fall on a barnstorming tour of local US teams to raise awareness for both amputees and healthcare in Haiti. As the team continues to rely on its association with IIS and through voluntary donations, the FC Dallas kits from the World Cup appear to be their alternate color kits.
Keeping this in the football realm–can you imagine the skill that these lads have when it comes to playing footy on crutches? Reading some of the rules about amputee football, crutches can not touch the ball–illegal touching is a foul similar to handball.
The rules also don’t take too kindly to divers either–one imagines there are no sympathies afforded to players during these matches.
Going from the use of two legs–which some of our guts tell us we use far less than we should–to having to adjust to one and still mostly abide by the general rules of football seems a great testament to the determination of the Haitian players and the game itself.
While the nation struggles to recover 1 year out (note the kids playing football in that photo) groups like the Haiti national Amputee Team and Zaryen demonstrate that even if their legs or arms were lost–trapped under rubble from last year’s earthquake–the human spirit cannot be crushed nor the will to move forward be denied.
After all, who can’t get behind a team named the Tarantulas?
Even with one leg and crutches, those fellas could still beat Wigan.