DNA Reports:

Sierra Leone’s national amputees football team is in play. A group of single-legged young men, all victims of the west African nation’s brutal civil war in which thousands lost limbs and other body parts not only to landmines or bullets, but also to hacking by rebel groups, has come together to seek encouragement and hope…

“I plan to continue playing and pray that one day I will play in the Paralympic Games,” says team captain Maxwell Fornah, who was shot in the leg in 1998 as he fled home from school after his village in the northeast of the capital, came under attack during Sierra Leone’s decade-long civil war.The sport has not only provided entertainment, but helped to spread a poignant message of hope. “We are happy that we can get together and encourage each other,” says Mohamed Lappia, who stepped on a mine that shattered his leg. Saidu Mansaray, 22, is the team’s goalkeeper. He has both his legs but only one active hand. He catches the ball with one hand as the four fingers, save the thumb, of the other hand were chopped off with an axe.

Sierra Leone is war ravaged. Athletes and sportspersons prefer to run away from the official sports villages in international meets in hope of better life. Those who have disabilities, often do so because of war. But they continue to battle on - in sport and in life.

Half the contingent of Sierra Leone has disappeared (ran away) from the Commonwealth Athletes Village in Melbourne. Reports Reuters:

Police and Australian immigration officials have been searching for 11 athletes from the war-ravaged African country who have gone missing from the village.

This is not a new phenomena as 20 athletes went missing after the Manchester Commonwealth games in 2002. Of course the war plagued athletes will find this as a window for better life. A risk much less compared to living in the war ravaged country. Sport isn’t as important when the problems are much larger. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) isn’t going to rule out Sierra Leone for future games. Political dimplomacy evident in sport and sport again proving that it is life magnified.

India is proving difficult to handle with the doping scandal. The answer CGF President Mike Fennell gave explaining the doping occurences is amusing though:

It’s a very large country, over a billion people, and perhaps there will be people who are perhaps not as knowledgeable about the drug situation and the doping situation, and there will be instances.

The closing ceremony of the games is to be held today with bollywood stars staging a performance. Also, Javed Akhtar will present a song for the Delhi Games. I haven’t witnessed an international sporting event in India bar the Cricket World Cup in 1996. So come Delhi 2010, it will be nice.

Update: A few of the athletes have spoken out. They say that they fear genital mutation and death if they go back.