In the program New Moun Football Zone presenter Mounir Boualin is participating in Ramadan for the first time. In addition to participating in the holy month of fasting, he also visits well-known faces from the football world who also eat nothing between sunrise and sunset, but have to perform in a sporting manner. In the third and final episode of the series, he meets Karim Loukili from Helmond Sport and Dries Saddiki from Willem II, while also letting his emotions run wild.
By Mounir Boualin & Thijs Verhaar
Marco Verbeek received more than 8,000 likes and almost as many reactions when he announced that he would participate in the month of fasting this month as a completely Dutch and unbelieving man. The head coach of amateur club GJS and scout of FC Den Bosch had expected that people from his own network would respond to it, but not that it would even be picked up en masse by strangers and national media. “That was not my intention, but a lot of people like it. At the same time, there are also those who rightly say that there are millions of others who fast, so it is not all that special, ”he puts into perspective. “I do participate fully. Do not drink water for a few days or only. No, the whole month. ”
Where Mounir takes part in Ramadan for the first time because of its Moroccan roots To learn to understand, Verbeek goes purely for the challenge. “There will probably be people who don’t understand that because they link Ramadan to faith, but I am not a believer. Still, I think it’s something beautiful. It does something to you physically and mentally. In one way or another it calms you down ”, he says. “You lose a few pounds physically, but for me it’s mainly about the suffering. By the way, of course, because we don’t know what real suffering is, but I do have the feeling that Ramadan makes you stronger. It demands a lot from you. Endurance and discipline, but that’s what it delivers. I believe in that. ”
Verbeek would advise everyone to take up the challenge with themselves and in a way we all do, he outlines. “One does yoga and the other takes an ice bath. And yet another trains for the marathon. It’s about getting tested and then you have to be strong. How? By keeping your appointment. I am going to do this. Point. Keep it up for thirty days and then it’s done. But the question is what to do next ”, the trainer continues. “Are you going back to your old pattern or are you taking some of it with you? I hope that I will learn something from it in the future. ”
These are words that Dries Saddiki of Willem II can only agree with. The midfielder has been looking forward to Ramadan all year and is sorry that it is now over. “It’s not just the fast, it’s everything around it. Being together with family, doing something for others. That is the core of Ramadan, ”he teaches, before explaining the basic principles of his faith. Participating in Ramadan and looking after someone else are important aspects. He explains that you can earn ‘a kind of plus points’ with that, while you lose points again if you fall short in other areas. “That will eventually be settled if you die and the day of judgment follows.”
So Saddiki, like other Muslims, strives to always do the right thing so that he can be rewarded in the afterlife. When Mounir indicates that he finds the explanation about heaven and hell a fearful thought because of his own lifestyle, the midfielder reacts extremely understanding. “God is forgiving to people who do their best and I also love that you learn more. What you can do to find peace is go to the mosque. It is very nice when the imam starts to recite for you ”, he admits. “Those lyrics are so deep and pure. You even have imams who cry because it is so deep. That is a must for you to start with. In any case, learning step by step is much better than diving in and out again. ” The words of Willem II’s midfielder reach presenter Mounir, who becomes visibly affected in the last episode.
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Now that Mounir’s introduction to Ramadan is almost over, he can look forward to the closing sugar festival. “With that we celebrate that we have persisted in the month of fasting,” explains Karim Loukili of Helmond Sport. “In the morning we pray and then the party starts for everyone. That is enjoyment. Eat together, drink together. It has been a beautiful month. I’ve helped where I could because it’s not just fasting. I have tried to help poor people in a group. You can do beautiful things for someone else. This month you can still relax and then you start thinking ”, he says from the house of prayer. “The mosque means a lot to me. It gives peace. Whatever problems I have with football or private life. Here I forget everything and the great thing is that the mosque is hospitable to everyone, regardless of religion. ”
Mounir Boualin is a freelance football vlogger, video journalist and presenter. Among other things, he makes interviews about matches for Voetbalzone.
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