Amputee football is growing in Rwanda, promoting solidarity and courage | Football News

The players fought for their sticks while chasing the ball, and the big dream of competing in the world. Children scream with joy when they see the goalie jump to block with his left hand.

Amputee football, a seven-a-side game in which players move around the field with sticks and the goalie has one arm, has grown in popularity in Rwanda over the past decade. Players say they’ve found a team on the field embracing other sports they never thought they’d play.

For many, it provides not only physical support but also a sense of belonging.

In the capital of Kigali, amputees perform to promote healing and unity after a tragedy that includes the country’s darkest period: the 1994 genocide, where nearly 800,000 Tutsi and Hutu civilians were killed by a majority of Hutu in 100 days.

Nyiraneza Solange was born two years after the attack and lost her leg at the age of five after falling and contracting an illness. He said the bravery shown by the people who lost their hands during the attack inspired him to start playing football.

He was encouraged by a former coach of the country’s first paraplegic football team, who told him he could play with his crutches. He quickly let go of any fear.

“I don’t think about having a leg,” said Solange, explaining that she feels more comfortable when she plays and has ended the stigma that accompanies being disabled.

Rwanda is said to have more than 3,000 amputees. Some are victims of genocide. Some are survivors of road accidents or illness.

Louise Kwizera, the vice-president of the Rwanda Amputee Football Federation, said that the game helps the players to regain trust, to build unity among people who were “divided”.

“In areas affected by conflict or danger, the game becomes a place of peace. People who may have different lives come together as teammates,” Kwizera told The Associated Press.