Beacon of hope - 13th May 2022

Only a few weeks old, a tiny squad of amputee footballers is training to compete in a championship in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta. Hailing from its second city, Surabaya, the team’s got high hopes of capturing a trophy.

In his youth, Syaiful Arifin loved playing football but, having lost a leg after falling from a train at the age of 12, he abandoned his dream of playing competitively – until he came across amputee football on social media.

Syaiful Arifin: "It all started from social media because no one knew about football for amputees. So, I looked it up on the internet and came across a website about amputee football in Indonesia.""

Amputee football poses its own unique challenges, since players must skillfully manoeuvre their crutches to get around the football pitch, as coach Muhammad Komar explains.

Muhammad Komar: "The most difficult thing in this kind of football is to adjust yourselves with the crutches. It's not as easy as football training with both legs. They need to coordinate different muscles when running or kicking the ball. It takes a lot of training."

Joining the team's had noticeable benefits for players' mental wellbeing, and has been a source of renewed optimism. It's something teammate Khusnul Yakin, who's found a new zest for life, can attest to.

Khusnul Yakin: "I used to just stay at home, lacking confidence because of our physical condition. But then I thought, 'Come on, why should I be shy? We are humans just like others, even though we have disabilities.'"

Even though the Surabaya team's still short a few players, Arifin and his fellow teammates are resolute that the competition trophy remains within their grasp. For Surabaya local Dendy Rohman, win, lose or draw, the amputee football team's a beacon of hope and a source of inspiration.

Dendy Rohman: "They are an inspiration and a hope for the future, that you have to stand up despite your conditions so you can embrace a better future."