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How Sydney’s father whose three children died in a car accident paid a secret tribute to his NRL team as he attended the Queen’s funeral
- Danny Abdallah wore a Bulldog pin when he attended the Queen’s funeral
- Sydney’s father’s three children were murdered by a drunk driver in 2020
- He was invited to London as part of 10 ‘Ordinary Australians’ for the funeral
- He wore a Canterbury pin on his lapel to thank the club for their support
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Danny Abdallah paid a poignant tribute to his beloved NRL club after Sydney’s father was invited to the late Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey.
Abdallah’s three children – Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, Sienna, eight – and niece Veronique Sakr, 11, were killed in 2020 by a drunk driver, Samuel Davidson in Oatlands, Sydney.
After the tragedy, Abdallah and his wife forgave Davidson, who was sentenced to 28 years in prison, and the couple later founded i4give Day and Foundation to commemorate their lost loved ones and help others in a similar situation.
Danny Abdallah secretly paid tribute to his favorite NRL club at the Queen’s funeral
Abdallah was one of ten ‘ordinary Australians’ invited to represent the country at Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral in London on Monday.
And the trio of pins on his lapel drew attention, including a map of Australia, the Australian flag and a bulldog — a nod to his beloved NRL side, the Canterbury Bulldogs.
“I just wanted to honor the club. The Bulldogs have been kind to me and my family and I wanted to be a part of the club there to pay their respects,” Abdallah told the newspaper. Daily Telegram.
“They’ve always been by my side, checked me in. They have a round called the I4Give Cup. I think sport is a good place to process your grief.’
Sydney’s father – who lost three of his children in 2020 – was invited to the state funeral
He wore a Bulldog pin to thank the NRL club for their support during his ordeal
Abdallah has spoken of the support he received from Canterbury and the NRL after his tragedy, and once said during his ordeal ‘the competition cried with me’.
“I love the NRL and my kids love their footy too,” Abdallah said. Growing up in western Sydney, it’s the game that’s played here more than anything else. It’s a tribute to the whole NRL, that link to the Australian sport we all have. It was nice to honor the club.’
Bulldogs chief Aaron Warburton sent Abdallah the pin when he learned the Canterbury fan would be heading to London for the state funeral, an event he thinks was an honor to be involved in.
“Now that I’m back, I’m processing everything,” Abdallah said. “It was part of history and what I learned from this is that no matter how important someone is or how insignificant someone is, love and sadness are in all the same households.
“I could see the sadness in the king, the princes (William and Harry), in their eyes, how they lost their mother, their grandmother, and it just shows the universal that we all have together as humans and that essence of family.’