A sporting chance: how football is bringing communities together on Lesvos

Getting out onto the football field is one of the ways migrants and refugees are looking after themselves on Lesvos. The benefits of exercise and community that team sports promote are having an immediate and much needed impact for people staying in cramped camp conditions (Photo: Anita Dullard/IFRC).

by Anita Dullard

Football is a great leveller — it helps to build community, establish friendships, and promote physical and emotional well-being. On Lesvos, the Red Cross is working with the local community and residents at Moria migrant camp to build the resilience of young men, some of whom have trained to be or were professional footballers in their home country.

Hans Storgaard, a psychosocial support delegate from Danish Red Cross, says football is a great outlet for the guys who come to train and play three times a week at the local village football field. “We counted eight different nationalities who come to play. They don’t all speak the same language, but through football they can communicate and build something together. Their eagerness to help out with the renovation of the locker room shows that these guys are willing to work and want to contribute to the upkeep of the football club. It’s really helping to build positive links with the local Greek community.” (Photo: Anita Dullard/IFRC)

The Danish Red Cross and Hellenic Red Cross are working with residents at the Moria migrant reception centre and the Moria village football club to run training and competitions for the many talented footballers among the community. In return, the footballers have offered to renovate the club’s locker rooms by painting and fixing up the facilities (Photo: Anita Dullard / IFRC)

Coach Henry (centre) leads the training and planning for the football matches. He left Nigeria this year because of violence and conflict in his region, the death of his father and child compelled him to leave for Europe, which in itself was a terrifying experience. He says, “Football helps us. When we’re here training and playing football, we don’t feel like refugees. We feel like we are home.” (Photo: Anita Dullard / IFRC)

On his first day of football training at the Moria village football ground, Abbas — who was a professional goalkeeper in his home country Iraq — trains young goalkeepers from the Moria migrant community. He has been in Greece for two weeks (Photo: Anita Dullard / IFRC).

Edmond arrived to the island of Lesvos, Greece, one month ago. A cadet at the football academy in his home country of Cameroon, he also trained at a football academy in Turkey where he stayed for some time on the way to Europe. He says getting into local football in Greece has given him a chance to meet and get to know fellow residents from different places. “It gives me a chance to escape camp life and feel like a person,” he says (Photo: Mia Martini / IFRC).

Ata and Getachewu, both from Ethiopia, watch from the sidelines. Official numbers from the Government of Greece indicate that more than 60,000 people are stranded in Greece. On Lesvos, almost 6,000 people are now waiting for the outcome of their applications for asylum in Greece. Some have been on the island for more than six months with little certainty about their futures (Photo: Anita Dullard / IFRC).