Hayat Tahrir al-Sham organizes soccer league for fighters, angers Idlib jihadis
Commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s military wing Abu Hassan al-Hamwi sparked widespread controversy among rival jihadis in Idlib after attending the final game in the soccer league recently organized for HTS fighters.
ALEPPO, Syria — Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which controls Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, is paying great attention to sports activities, especially soccer, through the Syrian Football Federation affiliated with the Directorate of Sports and Youth in the HTS-affiliated Salvation Government.
The federation organized in late March a first-of-its-kind soccer league championship, in which fighters from HTS’ military wing took part.
However, HTS’ involvement in sports and the championship has sparked controversy among jihadis opposing the organization, who accused it of “wasting the blood of the mujahedeen” and distracting the fighters from their goals. Some even sarcastically called HTS’ military wing the "soccer wing,” joking that the soccer league was the best use of Russia's preoccupation with invading Ukraine.
The soccer league championship for HTS’ military wing lasted for a week and the final game April 1 was attended by the commander of HTS’ military wing, Abu Hassan al-Hamwi.
