Last night was the last tryout for the Israeli-Palestinian team that would compete in the international AFL tournament in Melbourne during August and September. The try outs have been getting more competitive & serious as all the non-Australian influenced folks started adjusting to the game. After the now anticipated running & drills, the coaches decided to have two scrimmages where they'd get a final look at us before the final cuts were to be decided on Sunday. The scrimmage was barely a few minutes old when I went up to catch the ball and felt immediate pain. Despite telling a teammate, "My finger is broken", I carried on running with hope of shaking off the pain. Unfortunately it continued and despite finishing the first scrimmage, the pain was pretty bad so I decided to find some ice or cold water to soak my now bruised and swollen right pinkie. The fact I could move it and clench a fist relieved me - I had probably just jammed it, a common injury I am told.
This morning, I woke up and I felt something was just not right. The swelling, despite it being iced throughout the night, had increased and movement had become far more difficult. I was fairly convinced that it was in fact broken, and unfortunately, x-rays later on confirmed it. So now ... I'll probably be out of commission for a couple of months and I feel my chance to represent this cause has probably ended. If that's the case, I can honestly say it was worth it. Despite not really conversing with my Palestinian teammates, I saw how 'easily' we could form a team when we had a common goal. I know it's just a sport but in a world which seems like it's currently stuck in a dark tunnel, a bright & hopeful light is always smiled upon.
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