Faek Hinnawi: Palestine's Goalkeeper in 1960's

    One of the greatest Palestinian goal keepers in the sixties. Born in 1945. He started playing football in his middle school Madrasat Ghaza al-Jadida (New Gaza School). His main career started when he began playing football for Naser Secondary School. At that time sports in secondary schools were equal to sports in clubs. In 1963, he represented Palestine in the Pan Arab School Tournament in Kuwait.
  He joined Gaza Sports Club in 1960, and immediately joined its main team which included: Said al-Huseini, Ibrahim al-Mughrabi, Ghazi Shahto, Issa Huwaidi, Naim Hadouqa and Muhammad Aesh. These players supported him and motivated him to go forward.

   In 1964, as a goal keeper for Gaza Sports Club he played against the Egyptian Air Force team. Though his team was defeated 0-1, he deflected a penalty. At the end of the match, the captain of the Egyptian team congratulated him for his success. His second match was with the Egyptian Infantry during the celebrations of the 1952 Revolution, where he also repeled a penalty. His third match was against the Egyptian Air Force, though his team was defeated 0-7, Hinnawi did excellent.  [1]

    Also in 1964, he participated in the Sudasiyyat (each team included five players and the goal keeper) in Sector Gaza, he was chosen as the best goal keeper of this tournament. In 1965, he participated in the Pan Arab Games in Cairo, where he was a substitute goal keeper (the main goal keeper was Marwan Kanafani). The team combined of: Ismail al-Masri, Mu’ammar Bsiso, Omar Sheikh Taha, Fouad Abu Gheida, Husam al-Samri, Nabil Shami, Faisal al-Bibi, Ybrahim al-Maghribi, Khalil Istanbuli, Fathi Yousef, Abdel-Qader Shu’eb, Muhammad al-Sheikh, Khader Qadada, Ali Abu Hamda and Munther al-Mazini. The delegation was headed by Zaki Khayyal, Subhi Farah and Ilias Manneh. [2]

    Hinnawi took part in the Kas al-Arab (Arab Cup) in Baghdad in 1966, Palestine won the fourth place (the Egyptian Ahli Club did not allow Marwan Kanafani and Fouad Abu Ghaida to take part in these Games). [3] Ibrahim Oweda was the head of the Palestinian delegation. Hinnawi was chosen to be one of the Arab Selected Team which was formed to honor the great Iraqi football player Jamil Jamuli.

   Hinnawi took part in the Games of the New Emerging Forces (GANEFO) in Cambodia in 1966, the delegation was headed by Zaki Khayyal, Zuhair Dabbagh and Ilias Manneh.

   After 1967, he worked as a coach in Gaza Sports Club with Said Husseini and Moammar Bsiso. During the 1980’s, he took part as a referee in Gaza Sector. After 1994, and the founding of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, Hinnawi became the secretary of players' affairs in the Palestine Football Federation. He died in November 2010.

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[1] Usama Filfel, Biareq al-Majd: http://alanqaasport.com/sport/news.php?maa=View&id=658

[2] Ibid.

[3] Marwan Kanafani, brother of the well-known Palestinian writer Ghassan Kanafani. He played as a goal keeper with the Palestinian national team and the Ahli Club in Cairo, Egypt. He was an adviser to the PLO Chairman Yaser Arafat.