In October this year, Belgium will host a Nations League tournament for amputee footballers. The event, to be held in Blankenberge (Flanders), will see the Red Flamingoes โ the national amputee team โ play Georgia, Ukraine, Israel and Greece.
After initial group stages, successful teams will progress to the B-pool of international teams. Belgium recently won the C-pool of the first ever amputees Nations League and has high hopes of promotion in October.
The Belgium national amputee football federation was founded ten years ago and the squad now boasts 30 players. That's not such a big number, and there's reasons for that. "Most of the amp footballers live in countries where there have been wars," youth coach Wendy De Cock told VRT News at a recent awareness event in Wetteren. "In Belgium there are far fewer amputees."
Belgians who are missing a limb are usually born that way, or lost a limb due to illness or an accident. "In Ukraine we expect an increase," De Cock told VRT. โHow you deal with that depends from person to person. Some people accept the change the next day, others take years."
Amputee Football Nations League ๐๐๐ฅ We know the hosts ๐ฎโ 4โฃ tournaments 4โฃ hosts 1โฃ7โฃ teams EAFF Is launching a new competition - NATIONS LEAGUE ๐๐ First edition of this biennial event will take place in 2023 ๐#amputeefootball#togetheranythingispossible pic.twitter.com/2Mhm1a8nKC
โ EAFF (@EuroAmp) December 8, 2022
"Right after an amputation, some people are reluctant to show that amputation,โ De Cock added. โThat's why it's important for them to exercise together with fellow amputees and talk about it."
The Belgian federation has ambitions to improve but first wants to promote the sport as much as possible to raise awareness and perhaps recruit new players.
"Of the thirty we have there are only two women, even though there are about as many women as men undergoing an amputation,โ De Cock told VRT. โThere is also trepidation among children with an amputation, especially among their parents. Sports can be very important for processing, and the more players we have, the higher the level becomes. Since a few more players joined, we have noticed that training is better. Everyone is now playing for their place."
