A Goal Worth Fighting For: Rohingya Children Find Hope in Sport in Thailand

Phangnga, Thailand – “Goal!” shouts 18-year-old Muhammed* as his teammate and 14-year-old brother Riyad* scores another winning goal for their team in an early morning game of football at a shelter for children and families in Phangnga, Thailand. They are playing against their 16-year-old brother Ahmed* and 15-year-old cousin Sultan*.

Every day, the four boys wake up before sunrise to beat the heat and partake in sports activities like football. Their shared passion for sports bloomed in their hometown and continues to bind them across borders.

The final whistle echoes across the field. Sultan and Ahmed, despite losing the football match this morning, showcase true sportsmanship and join Muhammed and Riyad in a celebratory huddle. These pre-dawn football games are more than just a way to escape the heat for these four Rohingya children; they are a reminder of home, a source of solace and a training ground for the challenges ahead.

It was in 2022 that the three Rohingya siblings and their cousin fled Myanmar, together with their parents. The family sought refuge in one of the world’s largest refugee settlements in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, hosting over 1 million Rohingyas.

They were seeking a safe haven. However, restricted movements, limited education and job opportunities, combined with an undercurrent of hostility from the host community, sunk their spirits of building a life in the camp.

"The community members feared we might take away their jobs if we were to venture outside the camp," Muhammed explains. "We just wanted a chance to live a normal life, a chance to learn."

Education, a fundamental right for many, was a distant dream for these children. Adamant that he had to provide a better future for his three sons and nephew, their father decided to embark on yet another perilous journey by sea, this time to Malaysia.

“We had heard stories from our friends about Rohingyas living in urban communities in Malaysia, moving freely and not confined in a camp,” recounts Sultan.

However, tragically their boat capsized at sea during the journey. After being stranded for 15 days, they were eventually rescued by the Royal Thai Navy and brought to Thailand.

“We were moved to an immigration detention centre, where we shared a small room with 14 others,” shares Muhammed. “The detention centre was another challenging experience for us. We were dehydrated and fatigued after being stranded at sea for two weeks. Fear, ever-present since leaving home, transformed into stress and anxiety leaving us with constant headaches.”

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) supported the movement of the four boys from the immigration detention centre to a government-run shelter for youth and children in Phangnga.

“At first, we felt overwhelmed by the unfamiliar environment and scared as we were separated from our father,” Ahmed says. The heartache of missing their father, who was sent to another immigration detention centre, and of being thousands of miles away from their mother who stayed back in Cox Bazaar, Bangladesh, was extremely difficult for the boys.

Thankfully, they found solace in each other and in the kindness of the shelter staff.

“When I first met the boys, I instantly recognized their fear and pain,” recalls Narongsak, who has been working at the Phangnga shelter for the past 11 years and has assisted over 500 unaccompanied minors. 

Together with IOM, the shelter officials teach the children Thai language, enabling them to develop meaningful friendships with the staff.

"For us at the shelter, every child deserves equal treatment and opportunities, regardless of their background, religion or ethnicity," Narongsak explains. "We do our best to create a nurturing environment to help them heal from traumatic experiences."

IOM regularly organizes art and literacy activities at the shelter to provide a safe space for Rohingya children to express their dreams and emotions – aimed at improving their mental wellbeing, as well as to empower them.

“Mental health and psychosocial support remain a critical component of our humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees, on top of providing urgent food and other essential items and conducting regular health checks,” says Kiana Tabakova, Head of Preparedness, Response and Recovery at IOM Thailand.

"Our goal is to empower these children," Narongsak adds. "We may not be able to offer formal education, but we can teach them valuable lessons like patience through gardening, and responsibility through shared tasks. These skills will empower them no matter where life takes them."

An exciting new life awaits the four Rohingya boys, as they will be soon resettled to Canada together with their family, with support from IOM and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

“A major goal for us is to get enrolled in a school and finish our studies,” expresses Ahmed, who is determined to become an electrical engineer. “Every evening, we practice English and math to make up for the time we could not go to school.”

While excited about a brighter future in Canada, the four boys still share feelings of uncertainty and stress about moving abroad. The unknown journey ahead looms large, and leaving the shelter staff, their newfound family, only adds to the stress.

“Playing sports and focusing on the game helps us to forget our sorrow for a moment. It helps us to cope with our worries and cherish moments of happiness of our small wins in the game,” says Muhammed.

He wants to be a professional footballer one day. "Sport is an anchor in our lives. It gives us hope and the courage to believe that victory is possible.”

As the boys come together after the game, the sun is rising. The future looks bright and promising. They say they are ready to face it head-on.

*Names changed to protect their identities 

IOM’s humanitarian assistance to Rohingya in the region is funded by the European Union and the US Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM).