Over £1,000 has been raised for Homerton Hospital through a charity football match in memory of a father-of-three from Hackney who died last year of Myositis, a rare muscle-wasting illness.
This is the second year that Suleman Vesamia’s friends have staged the game in Millfields Park, which they intend will become annual event as tribute to the passionate footballer better known as Solly.
He passed away on May 1 last year from a severe, aggressive rare form of Myositis - an inflammation of the muscles which is estimated to affect only two in a million people.
On Saturday Solly’s children, Aisha, 13, Eisa, 11, and Liyya, 9, handed over the 100-year-old sterling silver “Solly trophy” to a team representing their school, Millfields, which beat the Rushmore School team 2-1.
Organiser Alastair Dent said: “We all miss Solly as a great friend and a popular member of the local community, he was a kind and generous man who was always ready to help others.
“We know that the Solly Cup is something he would have loved himself, and that’s why we choose to remember him this way.
He added: “A children’s game was also held – Millfields won this 3-0 but with 39 players on the pitch it wasn’t exactly strict FA rules.”
The money raised will go towards Homerton Hospital, where Solly spent the last 10 months of his life.
To donate go to www.justgiving.com/owner-email/pleasesponsor/thesollycup.
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