GAZA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Youssef Mourad, a 17-year-old Palestinian cancer patient, dribbled past his teammates on the pitch, scoring a goal during a training session at a newly-established football academy in Gaza for people with cancer.
For the young boy, who was diagnosed with bone cancer four years ago, scoring a goal means not only beating his opponents, but also delivering a blow to the disease.
When he was told about the tests' results four years ago, Mourad was shocked and preferred to stay alone at home.
However, Mourad regained his self-confidence thanks to the support of his family and is now receiving chemotherapy treatment.
Joining the Champions Academy, which offers football, tennis, basketball and gymnasium training for both genders, was an overwhelming pleasure for Mourad as playing football gave him a psychological support to overcome his illness.
"Playing football at the academy for the first time made me feel great because I lost my self-confidence after I became ill," Mourad told Xinhua after he finished fitness training.
"Joining the academy took me out of isolation ... I'm reintegrating into society and having new friends," Mourad said during a short break.
Mourad hopes that his life will come back to normal and become a professional footballer in the future.
The 15-member team, dubbed Hope Team, meets once a week for 90 minutes where the players receive free training. The academy pays for the transport and uniforms of the players.
Throughout the training, the players, whose ages range between eight and 17 years old, follow their coach's instructions precisely.
Nabil Ayyad, a 17-year-old boy with salivary gland cancer, feels better once his feet touch the ball.
"I have been falling in love with football since I was a little child," Ayyad said with a smile.
The Palestinian teenager said playing football reduces the difficult psychological conditions that accompanied him throughout the five-year period of his treatment.
"The tumor was surgically removed and I go through chemical radiation sessions that exhaust my body," Ayyad told Xinhua.
"Football now is the main focus. I play at the academy and also in my neighborhood with my friends," he added.
For Ayyad, Liverpool's Egyptian player Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus are his idols. He hoped to become as excellent as them.
According to the academy's officials, they chose football as it is a popular game that wins the passion of people of all ages around the world.
"The aim of the academy is to focus on the marginalized patients and to raise awareness among parents that children with disease must practise sport," Abdul-Aal al-Attar, coach of the team, told Xinhua.
He noted that exercises are conducted in coordination with the doctors supervising the cases of patients.
"The parents of the patients are happy and responsive ... The children feel more optimistic," the coach said.
According to Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, there are 8,515 cancer patients in the coastal encalve, including 608 children.
The Gaza Strip has been under strict Israeli blockade since Hamas seized the territory after routing security forces of the Palestinian Authority in 2007.
Israel's restrictions on Gaza and the movement of its 2 million population make it difficult for patients there to seek treatment abroad.
