Atta Elayyan
{{short description|New Zealand futsal player of Palestinian origin and CEO (1985–2019)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Atta Elayyan
| image =
| caption =
| native_name = عطا عليان
| native_name_lang = ar
| image_size =
| birth_name = Atta Mohammed Elayyan
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1985|06|21|df=y}}
| birth_place = Kuwait
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2019|03|15|1985|06|21|df=y}}
| death_place = Al Noor Mosque, Christchurch, New Zealand
| death_cause = Terrorism
(gunshot wounds)
| spouse = Farah Talal
| children = 1
| alma mater = University of Canterbury
| occupation = Futsal player, developer, businessman, coach
| module = {{Infobox football biography | embed = yes | header-color = lavender | embed-header = Futsal career
| name =
| image =
| image_size =
| fullname =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height =
| position = Goalkeeper
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 =
| years1 =
| years2 =
| clubs1 = Canterbury United Dragons
| clubs2 =
| caps1 =
| goals1 =
| caps2 =
| goals2 =
| nationalyears1 =
| nationalteam1 = New Zealand Futsal
| nationalcaps1 = 19
| nationalgoals1 =
}}
}}
Atta Mohammed Elayyan{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/palestinians-confirmed-killed-zealand-mosque-attack-190317080705571.html|title=Six Palestinians confirmed killed in New Zealand mosque attacks|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=March 2019|accessdate=18 March 2019}} ({{langx|ar|عطا عليان}}; 21 June 1985 – 15 March 2019) was a Jordanian-New Zealand futsal player, coach, businessman, and developer. As a futsal player, Elayyan played on the New Zealand national futsal team and coached for the Christchurch Boys' High School. As a businessman and developer, he founded several businesses including Lazyworm Applications and LWA Solutions. He was murdered in the Christchurch mosque shootings.
Early life
Atta Mohammed Elayyan was born in Kuwait,{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47601040|title=Christchurch shootings: Atta Elayyan, New Zealand futsal goalkeeper, among dead|publisher=BBC|date=17 March 2019|accessdate=18 March 2019}} to parents Maysoon Salama and Mohammed Elayyan.{{Cite web|last=Perry|first=Nick|date=2020-08-24|title=Court told New Zealand gunman planned to burn down mosques|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-40036784.html|access-date=2021-01-21|website=Irish Examiner|language=en}}{{cite web|author=Day, James|date=16 March 2019|title=Former Corvallis man killed in New Zealand terror attacks|url=https://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/former-corvallis-man-killed-in-new-zealand-terror-attacks/article_4d4b8ae8-b132-5412-b268-e5719d19a46a.html|accessdate=18 March 2019|publisher=Corvallis Gazette Times}} However, he grew up in Jordan.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47593693|title=Christchurch mosque shootings victims: The people killed as they prayed|publisher=BBC|date=21 March 2019|quote=The Palestinian-origin sportsman, who also had Jordanian nationality,}} He was of Palestinian ancestry, and his father was from the Abu Dis area of East Jerusalem.
Beginning in the early 1990s, Elayyan lived in Corvallis, Oregon, where his father established a mosque and school.{{cite news|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2019/03/man-raised-in-oregon-killed-in-terror-attack-on-new-zealand-mosques.html|title=Man raised in Oregon killed in terror attack on New Zealand mosques|work=The Oregonian|date=16 March 2019|accessdate=18 March 2019}} There he attended Wilson Elementary School. He later moved to Christchurch, as a preteen, and attended Christchurch Boys' High School, Lincoln High school, and the University of Canterbury's computer science programme. His father, Mohammed Elayyan, co-founded one of the Christchurch mosques in 1993, a year after arriving in New Zealand.{{cite web |author=Toi Staff |title=At least 6 Palestinians said among dead in New Zealand shooting |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/at-least-6-palestinians-said-among-dead-in-new-zealand-shooting/ |website=The Times of Israel |accessdate=20 March 2019}}
From 2002 until 2008, Elayyan was a member of the New Zealand–based Counter-Strike team called NewType.{{cite web |last1=Zaidi |first1=Taha |title=Remembering Atta Elayyan, CS:S pro and victim of Christchurch Shooting |url=https://www.dailyesports.gg/remembering-atta-elayyan-christchurch-shooting-victim/ |website=Daily Esports |publisher=Enthusiast Gaming |accessdate=20 March 2019 |archive-date=19 March 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190319014435/https://www.dailyesports.gg/remembering-atta-elayyan-christchurch-shooting-victim/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |last1=Walker |first1=Alex |title=Counter-Strike Scene Honours New Zealand Player Killed In Terrorist Attack |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/03/counter-strike-scene-honours-new-zealand-player-killed-in-terrorist-attack/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320213930/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/03/counter-strike-scene-honours-new-zealand-player-killed-in-terrorist-attack/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 March 2019 |website=Kotaku |date=19 March 2019 |accessdate=20 March 2019}} He played Counter-Strike: Source professionally in this time, and won several competitions. While a member of the Counter-Strike community, Elayyan participated in tournaments and posted on forums under the nicknames crazyarab and Cr@zyArab.{{cite magazine|author=Favis, Elise|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/obituary/2019/03/17/esports-player-and-app-developer-atta-elayyan-among-victims-of-new-zealand|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702084240/https://www.gameinformer.com/obituary/2019/03/17/esports-player-and-app-developer-atta-elayyan-among-victims-of-new-zealand|url-status=live|archive-date=2 July 2019|title=Esports Player And App Developer Atta Elayyan Among Victims Of New Zealand Massacre|magazine=Game Informer|date=17 March 2019|access-date=18 March 2019}}
Futsal career
Elayyan was the goalkeeper for the Canterbury United Futsal Dragons and had made 19 appearances for the New Zealand national futsal team. He won two national titles with the Canterbury team and was the recipient of New Zealand Football's futsal player of the year award in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/64105645/null|title=Futsal on the rise in Canterbury as men win national title|website=www.stuff.co.nz|date=12 December 2014|accessdate=17 March 2019}}
Elayyan had been coaching the Christchurch Boys' High School futsal team that had entered the secondary schools' national competition. This tournament was set to start on 25 March 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/111348435/new-zealand-football-mourning-christchurch-shootings-victim-futsal-white-atta-elayyan|title=Goalkeeper Atta Elayyan who died in Christchurch mosque shooting inspired others|website=www.stuff.co.nz|accessdate=17 March 2019}}
Business career
In 2010 he co-founded Lazyworm Applications, a business specializing in the delivery of applications on Microsoft platforms. Lazyworm Applications were responsible for building a top-selling YouTube app on the Microsoft platform, called MetroTube,{{Cite web|url=https://www.onmsft.com/news/ceo-of-company-behind-the-metrotube-app-for-windows-phone-killed-during-the-christchurch-new-zealand-terrorist-attack|title=CEO of company behind the MetroTube app for Windows Phone killed during the Christchurch, New Zealand terrorist attack|date=2019-03-16|website=OnMSFT.com|language=en|access-date=2019-07-15}} and a Twitter app also on the Microsoft platform, called Tweetro. He founded its services arm, LWA Solutions, in 2012, and remained its CEO until his death. He was also awarded the prestigious Microsoft MVP award during this period.{{Cite web|url=https://channel9.msdn.com/events/speakers/atta-elayyan|title=Atta Elayyan {{!}} Speakers {{!}} Channel 9|website=channel9.msdn.com|access-date=2019-07-15|archive-date=15 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715051652/https://channel9.msdn.com/events/speakers/atta-elayyan|url-status=dead}} During his time as CEO, LWA Solutions undertook major ventures with many of New Zealand's largest companies and corporations, including major virtual reality technology for Ports of Auckland which has been described as a world first."[https://www.reseller.co.nz/article/630497/christchurch-developers-produce-world-first-vr-app-ports-auckland/ Christchurch developers produce "world-first" VR app for Ports of Auckland]," reseller.co.nz Retrieved 19 March 2019. LWA Solutions was a finalist in the 2015 Microsoft Partner Awards.
Death
On 15 March 2019, Elayyan was fatally shot during the Christchurch mosque shootings.{{Cite news|last=Graham-McLay|first=Charlotte|date=2019-03-22|title=In Christchurch, New Zealand, One Family Among Many Buries a Son (Published 2019)|language=|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/22/world/asia/christchurch-burials.html|access-date=2021-01-21|issn=0362-4331}}
After his death, several donation initiatives were started by close friends to assist Elayyan's family, including a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than £25,000 and a Give A Little campaign that raised about $196,000. Mohammed Elayyan was also shot and wounded in the attacks but survived.
Elayyan was married and is survived by his wife and daughter, who was 2 years old at the time of his death. The couple married in 2015, and his wife is from Jordan.{{cite web|url=https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/jordanians-unite-in-mourning-for-atta-elayyan-after-christchurch-attacks-1.838700|title=Jordanians unite in mourning for Atta Elayyan after Christchurch attacks|website=thenational.ae|date=18 March 2019|accessdate=24 March 2019}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Christchurch mosque shootings}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elayyan, Atta}}
Category:Christchurch mosque shootings
Category:New Zealand men's futsal players
Category:New Zealand terrorism victims
Category:Deaths by firearm in New Zealand
Category:Jordanian emigrants to New Zealand
Category:New Zealand people of Palestinian descent
Category:Jordanian people of Palestinian descent
Category:New Zealand business executives
Category:People educated at Christchurch Boys' High School