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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Ever since he could remember, Ahmed Shareef dreamed of becoming a soccer player, until a bomb explosion in 2004 hit his hometown in Baghdad, Iraq, during the U.S. invasion of the country, leaving him without his eyesight and a right arm at 7 years old.

I lost my hope and dream to play soccer again, Shareef recalled.

Soon after, he was brought to the United States through a charity called the Global Medical Relief Fund (GMRF), a non-profit organization on Staten Island that supports medical treatment, transportation, lodging and rehabilitation in the United States for children around the world who suffer from the violence of war, natural disasters, or have little or no access to medical resources.

Over the years, Shareef said he found himself going back and forth between Baghdad and Staten Island for medical treatment, seeing over 20 doctors. His third visit to Staten Island -- as a teenager --- became his last, after Elissa Montanti, founder of GMRF and a native Staten Islander, made an exception with Shareefs case and became his legal guardian in 2012.

When he came back when he was 9, he started playing a little keyboard that I had. When he came back at 15, I had a bigger keyboard, and before you know it, I hear him playing tunes. I was like Oh my God, Ahmed!, recalled Montanti, whose organization has helped more than 500 children in 56 war-torn countries over the past 25 years.

Growing close throughout Shareefs visitations to the United States, Montanti said she did not want him to have to keep going back and forth, so she asked his mother if he could stay with her, and she agreed.

Hes my hero. Hes my inspiration. Hes an incredible, incredible musician. Hes like my son, Montanti said. We have coffee together every morning, and he always has a smile on his face.

Shareef started living with Montanti in Arrochar and attended Curtis High School as a teenager, where he played the piano, trumpet and drums in the schools jazz band. Now, Shareef plays in a band with Montanti and other musicians at local venues across Staten Island.

I had no future and no life for me in Iraq, Shareef, now 25, recalled. He still lives in Arrochar and added he keeps in touch with his parents and siblings back home.

DREAMS OF PLAYING SOCCER AGAIN

After graduating from Curtis, Shareef continued playing music and doing internships, working toward becoming a music and English teacher.

That was until he read information online in 2019 about U.S. blind soccer.

He recalled wondering at the time, Is this my dream coming back to me?

Right away, he emailed Kevin Brousard, the finance director for the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) and three-time world champion blind athlete, about his love of soccer and how he dreamed of playing again.

Brousard welcomed me to the sport, said Shareef.

The USABA began to build its first soccer programming in 2018.

In 2019, Shareef was flown out to San Diego, Calif., by the USABA, where he traveled solo, for his first blind soccer camp.

Ahmed first attended a USABA blind soccer camp in 2019 in San Diego, and he has shown steady improvement in his skills and field awareness since that time, Brousard said. His passion for the game is palpable, and he has served as an outstanding advocate for growing the sport, especially in the New York City area.

In summer 2021, Shareef was invited to another soccer camp in Ohio.

Most recently, in this past July, Shareef attended soccer camp in Charlotte, N.C., where he was immersed in three full days of training, with two on-field sessions each day, alongside other blind athletes and coaches.

We have to shout the word Voy to communicate with other players when we dont have the ball, so we dont run into each other, Shareef said. Its a new thing. Its different than sighted soccer, but its still soccer.

Training a mix of newcomers and experienced athletes throughout the training camps is an important step for the USABA in identifying talented athletes for the first-ever USA Blind Soccer National Team, to be named in October 2022. The first international competition for the inaugural team will be this December in Guatemala at the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Central American Championships.

BLIND SOCCER IN THE UNITED STATES

Blind soccer is an eye-opening adaptation to the worlds most popular sport, which was debuted for the first time at the Athens 2004 Paralympics. The sport is now played in over 60 countries, and it is one of the fastest-growing Paralympic sport in the world.

The USABA, a member of the the IBSA (which has governed Blind soccer since 1996), received the highest level of certification from the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) in 2022 to become the national governing body for the Paralympic sport of blind soccer.

USABA has provided life-changing opportunities for thousands of Americans who are blind and visually impaired, Brousard said. Not only does USABA provide events and programs to keep participants physically fit and healthy, but participants find a great sense of community and camaraderie through their experience.

The USABA will make its Paralympic debut as the host nation for Blind Soccer at the LA 2028 Paralympic Games.

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At age 7 he lost eyesight in Iraq bombing. Now, at 25 and living on S.I., he is pursuing dream of playing soc - SILive.com

According to aCentral Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS)report on Monday, Egypt's exports to Bahrain hit $450.7 million in 2021, compared to $139.3 million in 2020,an increase of 223.5 percent

On the other hand, Egypts imports from Bahrain in 2021 amounted to $466.5 million, compared to $261.7 million, an increase of 78.2 percent

Trade exchange between Egypt and Bahrain surged 128.7 percent during 2021to reach $917.2 million, up from$401 million in 2020.

The most important commodity groups exported by Egypt to Bahrain during 2021 were books, newspapers and pictures worth $387.1 million;fruits worth $9.3 million;machinery, appliances and electrical equipment worth $9.1 million;mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation worth $7.3 million; and vegetables and herbs worth $6.2 million.

Meanwhile,the most important commodity groups that Egypt imported from Bahrain during 2021 were metal ores worth $296.4 million;aluminum and its products worth $129.2 million;iron and steel worth $21.8 million;plastics and their products worth $4.1 million;and copper and its products worth $3.7 million.

According to CAPMAS, remittances from Egyptian expatriates in Bahrain recorded$104 million during the fiscal year 2020-2021, an 18.5 percent decrease from $127.7 million in compared tothe fiscal year 2020-2021.

Meanwhile, remittances of Bahraini expatriates in Egypt amounted to $1.9 million during the fiscal year 2019-2020compared to $1.8 million during the fiscal year 2020-2021, an increase of 1.2 percent.

Bahraini investments in Egypt amounted to $160.4 million during the fiscal year 2020-2021, compared to $174.6 million during the fiscal year 2019-2020, a decrease of 8.2 percent.

In the case of Jordan, Egypt's exports to the Hashemite Kingdom increasedduring the first quarter of 2022 to $198.9 million, up10.5 percent from the $180 millionrecorded during the same period in 2021.

Egypt's imports from Jordan hit $62.5 millionduring the first quarter of2022, up 51.2 percent from the $41.3 million recorded during the same period a year earlier.

Trade exchange between Egypt and Jordan recorded $361.4 million during the first quarter of 2022, up from $221.3 millionduring the same period of 2021,an increase of 18.1 percent.

The most important commodities that Egypt exported to Jordan during the first quarter of 2022 were mineral fuel, mineral oils and products of their distillation at$56.9 million.

Remittances of Egyptians working in Jordan recorded $774.2 millionduring the fiscal year of 2020-2021, up from $678.5 millionduring the same period of the fiscal year 2019-2020,an increase of 14.1 percent.

The value of Jordanian investments in Egypt was estimated at $56.7 millionduring the fiscal year 2020-2021, down from $58.4 millionduring fiscal year 2019-2020.

CAPMAS also published a report ontrade between Egypt and Iraq.

According to the report, trade exchange between Egypt and Iraq increased 14.1 percentin the first quarter of 2022,recording $147.3 million, up from $129.1 millionin the same period last year.

Egypt's exports to Iraq hit $141.8 millionin the first three months of 2022, up from $124.1 millionin the corresponding period in 2021.

Egypt's imports from Iraq also rose 11.3 percent to record $5.5 millionin the first quarter of 2022, up from $5 millionin 2021.

CAPMAS hadissued a reportearlier on Mondayon theUAE investments in Egypt, which leapfrogged by 169 percent during the first half of Fiscal Year 2021-2022, reaching $1.9 billion, up from $712.6 million during the same period in 2020-2021.

The CAPMAS reports come at the leaders of UAE , Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq visitEgypt to hold a five-country Arab meetingwith President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in New Alamein city, in which they discussed ways to boost bilateralrelations and cooperation among them.

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Egypt's exports to Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq increase during the 1st half of FY 2021-2022 - Economy - Business - Ahram Online

By Anadolu Agency Staff

DUHOK, Iraq (AA) The Ezidi community, living in harsh conditions in camps for eight years and unable to return to their homes due to PKK terrorists in northern Iraq's Sinjar region, say the international community has abandoned them.

"We cant go back to our homes due to some forces (PKK) in Sinjar and the problems people are experiencing there," Saud Seydo, a resident of the Sharya Refugee Camp, told Anadolu Agency.

"International organizations give us no help going back to our homes," he added.

Seydo, another camp resident, said: "We have no income, our financial situation is not good, and we cannot return to Sinjar."

The Ezidis, are unable to return to their homes because of the terrorist group PKK, according to Suleyman Hidir, another refugee from the camp, who said that everyone wants to live in their homes if they are safe, but they cannot in the current situation.

They are afraid of returning to their houses, refugee Ali Hudada said, adding that if the Iraqi government officially declares Sinjar safe, then they can return.

In an Aug. 3, 2014 attack on the Sinjar district, where Ezidis live, Daesh/ISIS kidnapped and killed thousands of people, including women and children, or detained them in areas they hold.

Some 300,000 people lived in Sinjar before the attacks, two-thirds of them Ezidi and the rest Sunni Kurds and Arabs.

Daesh/ISIS has been active in the Iraqi provinces of Salahuddin, Anbar, Kirkuk, and Diyala, at a time when the federal government is struggling to contain attacks by the terrorist group by launching security and military operations in the countrys northern, western, and eastern regions.

In 2017, Iraq declared victory over Daesh/ISIS by reclaiming all territories the terrorist group controlled since the summer of 2014, estimated to be about one-third of the countrys territory. But the PKK terror group remains active in the region.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Trkiye, the PKK listed as a terrorist organization by Trkiye, the US, and EU has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

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Northern Iraq's Ezidis say PKK terrorists, international neglect keeps them stranded in camps - Anadolu Agency | English

Baghdad, 3 August 2022 - Eight years after facing an atrocious onslaught by the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Yazidi community has still not achieved the peace and prosperity it truly deserves.

Thousands of Yazidis are yet to return to their families and loved ones. Their whereabouts remain unknown. Many continue to suffer mental anguish after years of captivity, torture, sexual violence and slavery, as well as profoundly inhumane treatment. Countless others are still struggling to come to terms with the loss of a beloved family member, if not the entire family. Meanwhile, many Yazidis remain displaced from their places of origin. Due to continuing tensions, their ancestral homeland in Sinjar is still deprived of the essential stability needed to rebuild their lives, free of fear and intimidation.

It must be clear that it is everyones responsibility to work relentlessly to ensure that the ongoing plight of the Yazidis ends now, and that every effort is made to provide the people of Sinjar with opportunities for a better future. The State is an umbrella for all, and its authority is the guarantor for every citizen of this country, irrespective of political affiliation, religion, or ethnic group. No Yazidi, nor any other Iraqi, should be a pawn in local or regional power competition.

This is why the Sinjar Agreement must be fully implemented, without further delay. Stable governance and security structures are vital. It will allow the displaced to finally return home, reconstruction efforts to be accelerated, and public service provision to be improved.

The United Nations will continue to promote accountability for ISIL crimes against the Yazidis to reinstate justice for all who have suffered from these heinous crimes. Freedom and justice go hand in hand with peace and development.

We salute the Yazidis resilience in preserving their culture and heritage despite ISIL attempts to erase them, and in spite of the countless challenges the community continues to face. We shall not forget those who were killed, injured or traumatized, nor those who remain missing: the search for them must continue until this painful chapter is closed.

As we commemorate this traumatic page of Iraqi history, we renew our commitment to peace and stability for the Yazidis and the people of Sinjar.

For more information, please contact: Mr. Samir Ghattas, Director of Public Information/SpokespersonUnited Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, Phone: +964 790 193 1281, Email: ghattass@un.orgor the UNAMI Public Information Office: unami-information@un.org

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UN Iraq on commemoration of 2014 atrocities against Yazidis in Sinjar: peace, development, and accountability key for the community to flourish...

What's common to a traffic policeman in Djibouti, a healthcare worker in Malta, a manager at a Sports City in Jordan and a computer engineering student in Iraq? They're all now in Mahabalipuram, near Chennai, playing in the 44th Chess Olympiad.

The major headlines in chess usually deal with Russia, Norway, India, the USA and several other major global powers, but the charm of the Olympiad lies in meeting participants from non-traditional chess countries who've made it here to pit their wits. And, with 187 teams in the open section and 164 teams in the women's section, Mahabalipuram is a global village.

Abdallah Hussein Ali, who turns 30 next year, has made his first trip away from home. He introduces himself with a polite bow and says he's from Djibouti. He wants to share his story but says something you'd never hear anywhere else during a sporting event: "I'm actually playing a game right now. I quickly sneaked out for a bathroom break. Can I speak to you after my match?"

Off he strides, in his pistachio green overalls. True to his word, he shares his story after his game. "I trained very hard, for two years, for the Olympiad. I was getting stronger and was among the best in my country but when you come here you see...[the level of competition] but all is well," he says with a hearty laugh.

"The Japanese player [Kojima Shinya, his opponent] was so strong, wow. He was too good. He made the kill move when I came back from the bathroom break. I lost focus and he closed out the game," he laments while adding that he would have preferred to have started with white pieces.

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Ali, whose day job is as a traffic policeman, works for close to 20 hours a stretch and then has the next 20 hours off, before repeating the cycle. His free time goes in chess. "My wife gets annoyed with me because I play chess in whatever free time I get. She calls me and I say I am busy, I will call you back...I am with my other wife [chess!]," he says with a belly laugh.

"Meeting so many new people, trying out new food, the competition here...it's really opened my eyes. I'm so happy to be here," he says. He's planned a week-long vacation in Ethiopia with his wife and eight-month-old son to rejuvenate after the Olympiad.

Mansour Sameer (57), has played chess for the better part of 30 years, and is a Chess Olympiad veteran. And he's had a long-standing love affair with India.

"I am thrilled to finally be in the birthplace of chess. I'm convinced chess was founded in India because I've read about how the Indian military was set up back in the day - the cavalry, infantry, elephantry, and chariotry. Chess was called chaturanga in Sanskrit, while we called it shatranj in Arabic," he says.

"In fact, we don't even call it chess...we refer to chess as laeibah al hindi (the Indian game) back at home," he adds. Mansour is one of six International Masters from Jordan. His son, Loay Sameer, is also on the list, making it two International Masters in the same house.

"I've read so much about the civilisations in India and have studied about the great Ramanujan [Srinivas Ramanujan, the maths genius]. In fact, many people who study maths in Jordan know about Ramanujan. Is there a museum of his I can visit in Chennai?" he asks. He perhaps would have driven past the Ramanujan IT Park on his way to Mahabalipuram and is on the lookout for a museum now.

Uranchimeg Psaila, a Woman Candidate Master from Malta, isn't playing today. She's come to the venue to soak in the vibes and meet new people, she says. Uranchimeg, or Urna as she likes to be called, is Mongolian by birth and adopted Maltese citizenship after marrying Clarence Psaila, a FIDE Master from Malta.

She didn't know a move on the chessboard until she met Clarence, who convinced her to pick up the sport. "I picked up chess from my husband around 15 years ago, but I'm not very good at it," she says with a sheepish smile.

"Malta is a very small country, you can't just play chess you know. I work as a caretaker in an old people's home. I really like it, I like helping people," she says as Viswanathan Anand walks by. "I haven't met him but I've heard a lot about him."

Urna also knows of Andre Schembri, the former Maltese football captain who played for Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League two years ago. Malta's population is less than half of Chennai's population. Yet sport, being the true uniter it is, has somehow brought her to the shores of Chennai.

A little further away from Urna is Rabeea Sabah Nori, a 20-year-old from Iraq. He's the youngest player in his team by a good 15 years and enjoyed a win over Thomas Larry of Dominica. Rabeea, whose name means spring in Arabic, is a football savant - his favourite club is Barcelona. "Yeah, Messi has left but has to leave at some point," he says before he can be quizzed about it. He points to his tucked-in t-shirt and says "I picked that up from Karim Benzema." We proceed to speak about Benzema's stellar campaign last year and how Rabeea had a terrible Fantasy Premier League [FPL] season.

Rabeea, who is pursuing a course in computer engineering, hopes chess can be as popular as football in Iraq one day. "People are warming up to the sport, but of course, football is the most popular sport. There are a few more young players around my age, coming up now and that could help popularise chess," he says.

From Malta, Djibouti and Iraq, the Chess Olympiad has brought the global family to the board.

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From Malta, Djibouti and Iraq, Chess Olympiad brings the global family to the board - ESPN