STORY: Palestinian female wheelchair athletes resume competing after four years
DATELINE: Aug. 23, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:06
LOCATION: GAZA, Palestine
CATEGORY: SPORTS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of wheelchair athletes participating in a local competition held in Gaza
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): FATIMA AL-HALOLI, Gaza-based wheelchair-bound basketball player
3. various of wheelchair athletes participating in a local competition held in Gaza
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): SUHA ABU ODA, Gaza-based wheelchair-bound basketball player
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): MOUSA QADOUM, Technical director of Palestinian Paralympic Committee
6. various of wheelchair athletes participating in a local competition held in Gaza

STORYLINE:

Palestinian female wheelchair athletes have resumed participating in competitions in the coastal enclave after a four-year suspension due to political instability in the territory.

Organized under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the matches began at Saad Saiel Stadium on Wednesday and will last for a week.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): FATIMA AL-HALOLI, Gaza-based wheelchair-bound basketball player
"Sport, in general, gives a person mental and physical strength. At the same time, you can unload yourself, which gives you activity and strength to be an effective element in society."

Al-Haloli's coach Heba al-Rawagh said she has been the driving force behind her team's victories.

Sitting in her wheelchair, 35-year-old Suha Abo Oda expressed her pride in establishing Gaza's first wheelchair basketball team for women in 2016.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): SUHA ABU ODA, Gaza-based wheelchair-bound basketball player
"This sport gives us motivation and the ability to challenge us, even if we feel tired or have cancer, as I used to receive treatment and come to practice it because it means life for us, not only for people with disabilities but also for normal people."

Gaza currently boasts eight men's wheelchair basketball teams that compete in local championships, according to Mousa Qadoum, technical director of the Palestinian Paralympic Committee.

"There are four wheelchair-bound basketball teams for women who undergo rigorous training and are prepared to represent Palestine in significant competitions," he explained.

Qadoum also revealed that the Supreme Council for Palestinian Youth and Sports will organize a competition between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in September.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): MOUSA QADOUM, Technical director of Palestinian Paralympic Committee
"This revitalization tournament for girls on wheelchairs came after a period of preparation for the general league scheduled to be held in September. The ages of the participants in this tournament range from 18 to 40, as all disabilities are present."

"The winners of the initial round in the upcoming competition will represent Palestine in international competitions when they are scheduled," he concluded.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Gaza, Palestine.
(XHTV)