AFL Toyota Premiership 2011

Peace Team

Ranking: 13
IC08 Placing: 13

In 2008, a team that made sporting history united to compete in the International Cup: a combined team of 13 Israelis and 13 Palestinians.

The Peace Team are travelling to Australia again for IC11. Although their main message is of peace and understanding between people and to show that Israelis and Palestinians can work together, they are also coming to win!

The team has been training hard and will give it all they can.

Head Coach: Kevin Nafte
Assistant Coaches: Jason Saddington, Robert DiPierdomenico

Peace Team's Road to IC11
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Players to Watch
 

Avi Benvenishty (Israeli)
My expectation from the 2011 Peace Team are:

1. Sport aspect – I already see an improvement in the level of play and I hope we keep getting better. There’s a much more serious athletic atmosphere and I love it!
2. Connecting to “the other side” – I wish we had more joint practices but I believe we’ll connect during the program.

Kamal Abu-Altom (Palestinian)
There is nothing in particular that I personally experienced or went through, other than the usual problems that all Palestinians experience with checkpoints, closures and the occupation. Many people I know (the community, friends, neighbours) are opposed to my participation in activities with the Israeli side in spite of what we are going through in our everyday life (difficult living conditions); they do not believe that such activity can improve the situation or lead to peace. I try to explain and deal with it, and portray the positive things as much as possible.