Mohamed Osam

Documentary photographer and filmmaker

Amputee footballer

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Location: Cairo, Egypt

Nationality: Egyptian

Biography: I am focusing on visual storytelling and how to apply its techniques to spread photo culture. I apply the quote of Robert Capa on my practice when he stated that If your pictures are not good enough, you are not close enough. This alerts me to... MORE

Mohamed Gaber 43 years old is a...so he can buy a prosthetic leg.

Mohamed Gaber 43 years old is an amputee footballer practicing with his team.After losing his leg Mohamed had to sell his furnture so he can buy a prosthetic leg.

Mohamed Gaber 43 years old is an amputee footballer practicing with his son during the lockdown.After losing his leg Mohamed had to sell his furnture so he can buy a prosthetic leg.

Mohamed Gaber 43 years old is a...th his children at their house.

Mohamed Gaber 43 years old is an amputee footballer posing for a photo with his children at their house.

Mohamed Gaber 43 years old is a...Ahmed at their videogames cafe.

Mohamed Gaber 43 years old is an amputee footballer playing video game with his youngest son Ahmed at their videogames cafe.

Mohamed Gaber 43 years old is an amputee footballer practicing with his team.After losing his leg Mohamed had to sell his furnture so he can buy a prosthetic leg.

Amputee footballer

an on going project about athletes with disabilities.

This story is about Gaper a 43 years old amputee footballer who lost his leg 6 years ago in an accident. After his loss Gaper took many years to overcome his moments of desperation with sport. 6 years ago Mohamed never expected his life would change to this after losing his leg in accident, “ After many hardships, I was able to overcome this point, I lost my leg and I had to sell everything I have inorder to buy a prosthetic leg and do the physical therapy and it seemed like I’m losing everything” said Mohamed. After 2 years Mohamed was desperate, he lost his work and he had no income sources and he wasn’t able to leave his home when suddenly while scrolling on face book he come through a videos for amputee football fans showing off his skills during the national team game in the world cup qualifications. “ I imminently texted him and asked if there’s a team or something like this I can join since I used to play football before in a local team here, but unfortunately there wasn’t any team yet but we met up after and we were able to find another players to form a team and one of football couches volunteered to practice them” Said Mohamed. “I took many years but I wouldn’t do anything without the support of my family and especially my youngest soon who is always there for me helping patiently” Said Gaber. After years of struggle Mohamed and his colleagues was able to form the first amputee footballer team with their own in the absence of all service from officials , they rent the pitch for practicing, they do everything with their own like buying team outfit and shoes. According to Gaber they got many offers from UAE and France to play for them but every time they got the offer the officials promise them they will help them to do their team here and they don’t have to leave as long as they get whatever they want, but so far nothing changed. The ambitious of Gaber is endless and he is looking to be a coach one day and help others who lost things to adapt easily with their loss with sport or any kind of support.

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Public Story

Amputee footballer

Copyright Mohamed Osam 2024

Updated Jan 2022

Location Cairo, Egypt

Topics Disabilities, Disability, Documentary, Essays, Football, Hope, Journalism, Loss, Personal, Photography

Six years ago, Mohamed was leading a normal life, working and spending time with his family. But one fateful day, a terrible accident left him without a leg and struggling to pick up the pieces of his shattered life. "I lost everything," he says, "I had to sell everything I had just to afford a prosthetic leg and physical therapy."

It seemed as though his life was over, as he lost his job and was confined to his home. But one day, while scrolling through Facebook, he came across videos of amputee football players showing off their skills during the national team's qualification games for the Russia 2018 World Cup. It was then that a spark of hope ignited within him.

"I immediately contacted the player and asked if there was a team I could join," says Mohamed, "but unfortunately there wasn't one yet." But that didn't stop him. He and the player met up and, with the help of a volunteer coach, they were able to find other players and form their own team.

It wasn't easy, as they faced financial and logistical challenges, but they never gave up. They rented their own pitch, bought their own equipment, and even made their own uniforms. They did everything in their power to make it happen.

The bond that formed between them went beyond just the sport, they were helping each other to cope with their physical limitations and to find a new meaning in life.