Soccer Clubs Flourish In Syria’s Rebel-Controlled Territories

by Jonathan SangerThis man lost his leg in a bombing by the Syrian Army. Now coaches a soccer club.A group calling itself the Syrian Authority for Sport and Youth is organizing athletics in Northern Syria. It says it operates a total of 140 clubs, playing 12 different sports — all inside rebel-controlled areas that are still resisting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Fans flock to the games as a diversion from the war, which has claimed 400,000 lives over six years, according to estimates — and still rages on. The war has allowed the Islamic State to flourish, but you won’t find any soccer leagues in territories controlled by the terror group: It bans sports, along with many other activities it deems too ‘Western.’ 
The post Soccer Clubs Flourish In Syria’s Rebel-Controlled Territories appeared first on Vocativ.