As the ongoing conflict with Israel continues to ravage their homeland, Canberra's Palestinian community is using their soccer platform to show solidarity with their home country.
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The community banded together to form a soccer team, which is now one win away from claiming the Diplomatic Corps Cup, and is using their games to draw attention and show solidarity with Palestine through a minute's silence.
Palestinian player Mohammad Abdul-Hwas said they have held a minute's silence prior to kick off in several games to pay respect to the ongoing conflict being raged against Palestine.
"It has really brought us together and all the teams respected that we needed to have that one minute silence to show our solidarity with Palestine," he said.
"This has made us unite more as a community, most of us know each other but we're bringing in more people and new young generations to the team."
The Diplomatic Corps Cup is formed by teams created from embassies in the capital and has given the Palestinian people a platform to display unity with their home country.
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Despite being built for social soccer, the competition is becoming more competitive and as Palestine prepare for Wednesday's grand final against Sudan at Hawker Football Centre, Abdul-Hwas knows they have the passion to win.
"Representing Palestine makes it more competitive, a win for Palestine is something that makes you more willing to win," he said.
Abdul-Hwas said the match up against Sudan was experience against youth, with his team's average age marking about 35 to 40, and Sudan's being 17 to 25 years.
It will be the first time the pair have faced each other, after both teams finished the competition undefeated at the top of their respective pools. Palestine secured their spot with a 1-0 win over Russia, and Sudan knocked out Turkey in a penalty shoot out.
This year 19 teams entered the Cup, with 253 players registering to play in an all-time record, to bring different communities and cultures together around Canberra.
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