Ben Binyamin nearly died during the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7. Now, this young man is one of the stars of the Israeli amputee football team that dreams of winning the European Championship in June.
Binyamin celebrated his 29th birthday at the ‘Tribe Of Nova’ electronic music festival, the scene of the massacre of 364 people perpetrated by fighters from the Palestinian Islamist group.
He lost his right leg when attackers threw four grenades at an air raid shelter where he was hiding with some friends.
“I would never have believed that I would play football again”, this former professional player tells AFP.
However, he is back on the field, running with the help of crutches and sending the ball into the back of the net with a strong shot with his left foot, which was previously his ‘bad’ leg.
The Hamas attack caused at least 1,160 deaths in southern Israel, according to an AFP count based on official data, and triggered a devastating war that is approaching six months.
In response, the Israeli Army launched an air and ground offensive on Gaza that left almost 33,000 people dead, according to the Ministry of Health in this territory controlled by Hamas.
“Your life is not over”
Two of Ben’s training companions are Israeli soldiers who lost a leg fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip. One of them was shot by an armed man in an ambush. The other had his leg hit when the armored vehicle he was in was hit by a rocket.
Also made up of victims of accidents not associated with the conflict, the Israeli team qualified for the Amputee Football Championship, which will be held in France between June 1st and 9th.
Zach Shichrur recruited some of the players while they were still recovering from their injuries in the hospital. “Your lives are not over,” he told them.
He himself is a good example. At eight years old, a bus crushed his foot. After undergoing multiple surgeries and decades of suffering, this 35-year-old lawyer decided it “might be better” to amputate his foot.
“It was a difficult decision, but the best I’ve ever made. Thanks to prosthetics, I can do not only things that any normal person can do, but also things I would never have imagined, like surfing and snowboarding,” he told AFP.
Founder and captain of the Israeli amputee team, Shichrur transmits his energy to his teammates. “We showed that not only is it possible to resume a normal life, but also to play football with one leg and defend your country,” he says.
The team has other talents such as striker Ben Maman, 20, one of Israel’s young promises until he lost his leg when he was run over by a motorbike.
Gaza also has a football team for amputees. But even if the war ends tomorrow, Ben Binyamin does not see any chance of a match between Israelis and Palestinians.
“I can’t believe in peace because they just want our destruction,” he says.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
