The Faisal Cup was birthed out of tragedy.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon in April 2006, just as the excitement surrounding the World Cup began to build, one of our students Faisal, drowned while trying to fetch an old football he saw floating in the Gombak river.

Faisal (picture - middle) and his group of friends had walked home from Dignity for Children Foundation (DCF) along the Gombak river in Kuala Lumpur. The boys walked along, kicking a ball back and forth. This old and tattered football was the only ball the boys owned, so when Faisal miskicked and the ball rolled past him into the river, he didn’t hesitate to jump in to retrieve it.

At first, he splashed around, laughing and having fun until he lost his glasses and couldn’t see. Then he disappeared from sight. His friends heard a cry for help and at first, thought he was fooling around.

Faisal was actually drowning.

The young friends tried in vain to rescue him from the swollen river but sadly, it was too late. He was caught in the currents of the river.

Faisal never had an opportunity to play football in a safe and proper environment, being raised in a squatter area by parents who were unemployed and unable to afford a ball, let alone send him for training.

Faisal gave up his life just for a chance to play for a RM 20 ball.

The Faisal Cup was initiated to ensure that children from underprivileged backgrounds have an equal opportunity to play in a safe environment. It is to ensure that never again would a child lose their life over something that seems so small to us, but is so important to them. It is to build a better tomorrow through the restoration of peace, hope and dignity.