For the fourth year in a row, Nujum Sport launched its Ramadan packs ahead of the holy month for Muslims.
Ramadan is considered a sacred period in Islam lasting roughly a month – this involves abstaining from food and water from sunrise to sunset. The month is not just dedicated to fasting, other aspects include daily prayers, acts of charity, and community gatherings.
Similarly, to previous years, the month will be amid the football season starting in early March and ending in April.
The event saw athletes, coaches, and key figures in sport celebrating the work Nujum has been doing. With the support of EFL and Premier League clubs, the organisation introduced multi-faith rooms in 35 clubs, delivered 400 packages to athletes, and reported 40 cases of Islamophobia.
France youth international and QPR defender, Ziyad Larkeche, was one of those athletes in attendance and received his pack.
This is my second year at this event, it continues to grow, and I appreciate the support that Nujum and football as a whole are giving many of us”, he told Sky Sports News.
Leyton Orient’s Idris El Mizouni with his Ramadan pack from Nujum Sport
Ramadan is about family, and we as athletes are missing them. Events like this remind us of the vibe and the people we have around us.”
Larkeche, alongside West Ham Women’s Hawa Cissoko, Leyton Orient’s Idris El Mizouni, and Ebbsfleet United’s Ousseynou Cisse, all shared their experiences of fasting and playing professional sport.
“I would have loved this when I started as an athlete”, expressed Cissoko. “I can’t expect people to know, and it might feel awkward to ask questions.”
El Mizouni briefly interrupts: “When I first started people thought Ramadan meant you don’t eat but you can drink water, or you fast for 30 days straight”, he laughs, and the group collectively joins.
Nujum Sport are supporting Muslim athletes during the holy month of Ramadan
“It’s nice though, people ask questions to learn, and my team-mates are very supportive” adds Cissoko.
It’s clear from listening to these players just how important support from the clubs and the leagues is.
During Ramadan in 2021, Leicester and Crystal Palace agreed with referee Graham Scott, to allow a natural pause in the game for Wesley Fofana and Cheikhou Kouyate to break their fast.
It was the first time that an English top-level fixture had been paused to allow Muslim players to eat and drink mid-game. Now, with the support of Nujum, clubs have a greater understanding of the needs and requirements of Muslim athletes.
“I’m at Leyton Orient and whenever I need to pray, they give me a room,” El Mizouni shares. “If a game is in the afternoon, they will give me a place to pray in the warm-up before the game. They also provide nutritional advice when necessary. Ramadan and fasting are not something we have to hide now.”
Nujum Sport’s Ramadan event was attended by a range of athletes, coaches, and key figures in football
Though the integration of faith and football is widely understood and celebrated in England, for these players it’s a rarity – an experience they have not previously had at other clubs across Europe.
“I’ve played in France, Belgium, Spain, and now England”, said Cisse. “There is a lot more support and want to understand here than in other places. Before, I would hide that I was fasting and praying, but now I don’t.”
A few weeks remain until the month of Ramadan and as communities prepare for the sacred month, there is a sigh of relief and excitement from these players. Schedules in football rarely allow for such unions, but it is one they all seemingly appreciate.
“We can just be us, in every way possible,” adds Larkeche.
