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Dignity Cup - A Sports Tournament with Greater Inclusivity
The Legacy of Faisal Cup
The Legacy of Faisal Cup
The Faisal Cup tournament, which has grown from strength to strength each year, provides marginalised children the rare and treasured experience of competing in sports and reaping the benefits of competitive sports.
The legacy continues with Dignity Cup, hoping to reach out to even more participants from different communities to play and included in a structured sports tournament.
"Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand.
Sport can create hope where once there was only despair." — Nelson Mandela
The Origins of the Faisal Cup (2006 - 2024)
The Faisal Cup was born out of tragedy.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in April 2006, as excitement for the upcoming World Cup filled the air, one of our students, Faisal, drowned while trying to retrieve an old football he had seen floating in the Gombak River.
Faisal had never been given the opportunity to play football. The squatter home he lived in had no safe space to play, and his unemployed parents could not afford a football—let alone formal training. Yet, like many children, he carried a deep love for the game.
Faisal lost his life for the chance to play with a RM20 football.
In his memory, the Faisal Cup was started to ensure that children from underprivileged backgrounds would have equal access to sport in a safe and supportive environment. It stands as a promise that no child should ever again risk their life for something that may seem small to us, but means everything to them.
Through sport, the Faisal Cup sought to restore peace, hope, and dignity, building a better tomorrow for children and communities.
Today, the Faisal Cup has evolved into the Dignity Cup, expanding to include more sports and embracing greater inclusivity. Yet, its heart remains unchanged:
inclusion, empowerment, and community.
Faisal is the tallest boy wearing glasses in the middle of the photo, alongside his best friends (Noorhassan and Mohd Hassan)
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