Heba Saadia: First Palestinian referee at FIFA Women’s World Cup
The ninth Women's World Cup, which will be held by Australia and New Zealand, is the first to be co-organized by two nations and to include 32 countries.
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Heba Saadia is set to make the calls in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20, 2023.
A female Palestinian referee has been chosen by the World football authority FIFA, for the first time, to officiate at the upcoming Women's World Cup matches.
Heba Saadia will make the calls at the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20, 2023, Palestine's WAFA agency reported.
Australia and New Zealand will host the ninth Women's World Cup, which is the first to be co-organized by the two nations and the first to include 32 countries.
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has appointed Palestinian international referee Heba Saadia to officiate matches during the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20, 2023. pic.twitter.com/9ZnWUH0LfJ
— Al-Jarmaq News (@Aljarmaqnetnews) December 24, 2022
Football in Palestine
For several years, Israeli forces restricted sports activities in Palestine by damaging sports facilities, denying travel permits to football players from Gaza to cross into the occupied West Bank to participate in the local championships, not to mention the killing of football players.
Read: Don't Palestinian children have a right to play?
Last week, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh urged FIFA to condemn the Israeli killing of Palestinian football player Ahmad Atef Mustafa Daraghma, who died from very serious wounds caused by Israeli army gunfire.
Daraghma played with the Thaqafi Football Team of Tulkarm, and was hit in the back and feet by live rounds as confrontations broke out when the Israeli army forces stormed the eastern part of Nablus to protect Israeli settlers who stormed the Joseph’s Tomb region.
The prime minister strongly slammed the attack and urged international rights organizations to hold the Israeli occupation accountable for its crimes.
