Kuala Lumpur 27 June 2023 – Faisal, a student of Dignity for Children Foundation (Dignity), drowned trying to retrieve a football in the Gombak River, but his tragic death has kept alive dreams of refugee children to not only play in a Football Tournament but to be scouted by Football Clubs.
Moved by Faisal’s courageous attempt back in 2006 to retrieve an old ball that has fallen into the Gombak River, Dignity, the Sentul-based NGO initiated the Faisal Cup Tournament for refugee children to have a safe environment other than their squatter neighbourhood to play football.
Faisal Cup, the first and only football and netball tournament of its kind, had its beginning with only two teams. Today, 188 teams compromising children from Dignity and other learning centres for underprivileged poor children, are participating in the Tournament.
What’s more, Faisal Cup has caught the eye of Football Clubs as a source for young potential talents with five children already being scouted, thanks to Faisal and Dignity which acted on their belief that a child’s life is worth more than an old ball.
