After a long hiatus, this year saw the return of ISH Football Club. Training once a week on a 5-a-side pitch in Farringdon, ISH FC has featured 40 different players from 23 different countries who have had the chance to participate in the weekly league matches on Warren Street. The club’s motto is ‘all ages, genders and abilities welcome’, a reflection of the diversity of the group which comprises students of different sexes, different football ability and at various levels of their studies. Not only is the team rich in talent but it serves as a platform to bridge cultural and language differences between the players who hail from countries as far-flung as Swaziland, Palestine, Iceland and China.
‘ISH FC stands out not only because of its diversity, but it’s a place where you learn about accepting, adapting and accommodating each other as a team,’ says Mohammad Elkhatib, a footballer and student from Gaza in Palestine. ‘Adapting and being open to other people’s strengths, weaknesses and opinions are skills that are necessary for one to integrate into the multicultural city of London.’
