Gaza volleyball team disqualified from school sports festival

The Gaza men's volleyball team has been disqualified from the XVI National School Sports Festival currently taking place in Inhambane and Maxixe, Mozambique. The disqualification follows the detection of the first case of age falsification in this edition of the competition.

Irregularities in the documentation of several athletes from the Gaza provincial selection were identified during a match against the Manica team. As a result of the violation of competition regulations, Manica was declared the winner by administrative decision, and the Gaza team was immediately eliminated from the tournament.

The festival, which runs from August 29 to September 6, involves over 1,400 student-athletes competing in eight disciplines, including athletics, handball, basketball, football, gymnastics, traditional games, volleyball, and chess. Organizers have stated they will continue to verify documentation and eligibility for all participants to ensure transparency and compliance with established rules.