STORY: Football academies in Cairo reignite dreams for young refugees
SHOOTING TIME: July 17, 2024
DATELINE: July 28, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:57
LOCATION: Cario
CATEGORY: SPORTS 

SHOTLIST:
1. various of refugee boys playing a football game at a sports academy in Cairo
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): YASSIN ABDEL-MAGED, Sudanese refugee
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ABDULLAH ESSA ABDULLAH, Sudanese coach
4. various of refugee boys playing a football game at a sports academy in Cairo
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): YOHANA LINO, South Sudanese refugee
6. SOUNDBITE 4 (Arabic): MARIO CHO, Co-founder, manager and head coach of Future Football Academy

STORYLINE:

Abdel-Maged, 14, fled with his family the ongoing internal military conflict in Sudan about seven months ago. They found safety and hope at the Sudanese Santos Football Academy in Cairo, which reignited his dream of becoming a footballer after enduring hardship in his homeland.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): YASSIN ABDEL-MAGED, Sudanese refugee
"My ambition is to be a famous football player like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and after we came here my ambition grew stronger."

His coach Abdullah Essa Abdullah was giving instructions to about 30 Sudanese young players during the training session. The coach himself also came from Khartoum. He arrived in Cairo several months before the outbreak of the current war in Sudan in mid-April last year, and has been stranded here due to the continuing conflict.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ABDULLAH ESSA ABDULLAH, Sudanese coach
"The academy here provides many things for the young generation, gives them hope for the future, and helps them forget about the ongoing war in Sudan."

He highlighted that Santos Football Academy also conducts awareness-raising workshops and organizes activities like basketball and volleyball for the children.

Cairo is home to many football academies established by the Sudanese and South Sudanese communities, which offer young refugees the opportunity to engage in the beloved sport and build friendships.

Training next to the Santos Football Academy in the rented field is the Future Football Academy, a South Sudanese academy also based in the Egyptian capital.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): YOHANA LINO, South Sudanese refugee
"I didn't go to school much in South Sudan. When we came to Egypt, I went to school and joined the football academy. I hope to go to Europe and play for Real Madrid in the future."

SOUNDBITE 4 (Arabic): MARIO CHO, Co-founder, manager and head coach of Future Football Academy
"We decided to establish an academy to embrace our young boys from South Sudan, where they can play, enjoy themselves, and stay off the streets. Our goal is to encourage them to focus on education and football, helping them to achieve a brighter future."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Cairo.
(XHTV)