Fans and family honor ‘Palestinian Pele' killed in Gaza while queuing for aid
GAZA CITY — The "Pele" of Palestinian soccer hoped to keep scoring goals until he was 50. An Israeli tank shell dashed that dream a decade early, his family said, killing Suleiman al-Obeid as he queued in southern Gaza this week to collect food.
Obeid's widow Doaa al-Obeid now clutches the blue-and-white number 10 shorts he wore for his Gaza club, Al-Shati, one of the only mementos she has of her late husband, as she and her five children mourn the revered 41-year-old striker.
"This is the most precious thing left behind by him," she said.
The family have few other belongings of Obeid, whose home was destroyed in a bombardment earlier this year. They now live in a tent among the ruins of a neighborhood of Gaza City.
Obeid, likened by fans to Brazilian great Pele for his skills and goal scoring, hit headlines this week after Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah criticized a tribute to Obeid by Europe's governing body UEFA that did not mention the cause of death.
"Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?" wrote Salah.
The Palestinian Football Association said Obeid was killed in an attack by the Israeli military in southern Gaza while waiting to collect aid at a distribution point.
His family said it was a tank shell that killed him.
Responding to Salah's post on X, an Israeli military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani said: "Hey Mohamed, After an initial review, we found no records of any incidents involving Suleiman al-Obeid. In order to take a closer look, we need more details."
Obeid, who had played for the Palestinian national team, was still playing for his club in Gaza when the war between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023.
Hamas attacked Israeli towns and villages killing more than 1,200 people. Israel in response has laid waste to the Gaza Strip, a coastal enclave housing more than 2 million people, and killed some 61,000 Palestinians.
Most have been killed by airstrikes, artillery and gunfire, but a growing number are starving to death.
'This player was a gazelle'
Obeid kept playing throughout the hardship, his widow Doaa said.
"He used to go training every day and never stopped, not a single day. Even during the crisis of war, in the midst of rockets, shelling and mass killing, he would go play. He used to gather his friends and loved ones and go play with them," she said.
The Palestinian Football Association says hundreds of athletes and sports officials are among those killed by Israel's assault, with most sports facilities now destroyed.
Palestinian soccer fans say they will focus not on Obeid's violent death but his legacy.
"Children called him the Henry and Pele of Palestine," said Hassan al-Balawi, a barber in Gaza City, in a comparison also with French great Thierry Henry.
"This player was a gazelle—when we stepped onto the pitch, we enjoyed watching him. All Palestinian soccer fans enjoyed Captain Suleiman al-Obeid." — Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
9 hours ago
- GMA Network
Kuwait arrests 67 over illegal alcohol production after 23 deaths
KUWAIT — Kuwaiti authorities have arrested 67 people accused of producing and distributing locally made alcoholic drinks that have killed 23 people in recent days, the Interior Ministry said. Kuwait bans the import or domestic production of alcoholic beverages, but some are manufactured illegally in secret locations that lack oversight or safety standards, exposing consumers to the risk of poisoning. The ministry said in a statement on X late on Saturday that it had seized six factories and another four that were not yet operational in residential and industrial areas. The health ministry said on Thursday that cases of methanol poisoning linked to the tainted drinks had risen to 160, with 23 deaths, mostly among Asian nationals, up from 13 fatalities reported earlier. The head of the "criminal network," a Bangladeshi national, was arrested, while one of the suspects, a Nepali, explained how methanol was prepared and sold, the Interior Ministry said. — Reuters
GMA Network
16 hours ago
- GMA Network
Relentless Chimaev beats du Plessis to win UFC middleweight title
Chechen-born wrestling specialist Khamzat Chimaev completely dominated Dricus du Plessis to win the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 319 on Saturday night, smothering the South African with his grappling. Chimaev scored a unanimous decision victory on the judges' scorecards. He set the tone in the opening minute, shooting for an early takedown to bring the fight to the mat and pinning the South African in a crucifix position before raining punches with his left hand, but the blows did little damage and du Plessis survived. Round two began in much the same fashion as the 31-year-old again brought the fight to the mat. This time he stuck to his opponent's back like a limpet to threaten with knee strikes and choke attempts, and Du Plessis was spent in the third and fourth rounds in similarly poor positions. There was a brief sliver of hope late in the final frame as du Plessis finally managed to get himself into a threatening position, but it was too little, too late, and Chimaev was declared the winner, with all three judges scoring the fight 50 to 44 in his favour. "I never game-plan. I just came in, work like I do in the gym. That guy is strong, I couldn't finish, respect that guy, he's the only champion who was saying my name. This guy has real heart, a real lion, a real African lion," Chimaev said, the new championship belt around his waist. Du Plessis took his dethroning with good grace before promising to win the title back. "He deserves this 100 percent, he beat me fair and square tonight. He was the better man tonight, and I'll be back. I'll come and get my belt back, but for now, it's his and he deserves it, and he has to enjoy it," he said. —Reuters
GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
New gene tests system in disarray ahead of world championships
MANCHESTER, England - Female Canadian athletes have been told that gene tests they recently underwent do not comply with World Athletics' requirements, leaving them scrambling to complete new tests before the September 1 deadline for the world championships. French athletes are also seeking meets and camps outside their country to complete the one-off tests after the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Sports ruled them illegal in France. Athletics Canada commissioned Dynacare to conduct SRY gene tests, which help to determine biological sex, at the recent national championships. However, an email sent this week to athletes and seen by Reuters said Dynacare "has advised us that the test kits they provided were not of the required standard". Athletics Canada CEO Mathieu Gentes told Reuters on Friday that the federation is "doing everything within its power in the interest of athletes to ensure that we meet World Athletics' September 1st deadline for completion of the test. "It's a rapidly evolving situation which we're dealing with in real time," Gentes said. "We are working on solutions to assist athletes in locations around the world." The problem with the tests, Dynacare said in a statement, was that they were provided with saliva samples "but identified that blood samples were required for testing – not saliva – and immediately recommended blood collection to meet the correct standards. "Athletics Canada agreed and ordered the correct blood samples. Dynacare has prioritized these blood samples, so athletes can be cleared to compete." The French Athletics Federation had planned to test athletes at the national championships but was told "such tests are prohibited under the French Bioethics Law enacted in 1994", the federation said in a statement to Reuters. "As a result, ultimately, no action was carried out. "The federation is confident in World Athletics' ability to quickly find a solution and to ensure that French athletes can take part in international competitions under the best possible conditions." World Athletics is working with the French federation to help athletes obtain tests at other meets or at their pre-worlds training camp outside France, said Jackie Brock-Doyle, director of special projects for the sport's governing body. Brock-Doyle also said World Athletics is working with federations from Poland, Belgium and Switzerland to help facilitate testing for athletes competing at the four remaining Diamond League meetings hosted by those countries. TEST APPROVED World Athletics approved the introduction of a test to determine if an athlete is biologically female at their council meeting in March. The federations "all knew in March that we were going to introduce the SRY test", Brock-Doyle told Reuters. "We were asked during the press conference, 'Would we be bringing it in for the world championships?' And we said at the time, 'Yes, that is our intention.'" When pressed for details about the test at the March press conference, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: "The process is very straightforward, frankly very clear and it's an important one. And we will look for a testing provider, we will work on the timelines." World Athletics then announced details of the SRY test on July 31. "It's really important in a sport that's permanently trying to attract more women that they enter a sport believing there is no biological glass ceiling," Coe said in a statement at the time. "The test to confirm biological sex is a very important step in ensuring this is the case." Brock-Doyle said World Athletics was not worried that female athletes would miss the September 13-21 worlds in Tokyo due to a failure to secure a test by the deadline. Brock-Doyle, who estimated that 40% to 50% of athletes have been tested, said those who have completed the test but are still awaiting the result past the deadline can compete in Japan. "Not every single result may come through, because some countries it may take two, three weeks," she added. An adverse result - and potentially that athlete's performance at the worlds - would be investigated afterwards. Brock-Doyle also disagreed with criticism that the genetic testing regulations were pushed through too quickly. "Would it have been better if we'd had a little bit more time? Maybe," she said. "But the reason we've chosen the world championships is that it's probably around 80-plus percent of all our elite (female) athletes there." —Reuters
