Hamza Choudhury raises more than £100,000 for treatment of injured children in Gaza
Bangladesh national team midfielder Hamza Choudhury has raised more than £100,000 for the treatment of injured children in war-torn Gaza. In Bangladeshi currency the amount is about Tk 1.65 crore.
The Sheffield United footballer raised the money through a charity event organised with the support of Nujum Sports.
In a message on social media, Hamza said the entire amount raised would be spent on medical treatment for children in Gaza.
The main aim of the initiative is to move injured children to a safe place and arrange better treatment for them. The humanitarian organisation 'Children Not Numbers' will help with that work.
Hamza thanked everyone who supported the initiative and donated. Referring to the suffering of people in Gaza, he said this help may be small compared with that suffering, but a small initiative can also begin a bigger change.
He also asked everyone to pray for the freedom and peace of the oppressed Palestinians.
The Bangladesh team is also busy preparing on the field. The SAFF Championship is due to start in Dhaka on 5 November. Ahead of the tournament, a 30-member preliminary squad is training at the National Stadium under coach Thomas Dooley.
Bangladesh will face Bhutan on the opening day. Because of busy club schedules, the team will not have Hamza and fellow England-based footballer Farhan Ali Wahid for the first match. The two are due to arrive in Dhaka on 9 November, when the FIFA window starts, and join the national team.
