In a cramped space surrounded by damaged buildings, Palestinian children and young men practise taekwondo with little equipment, trying to keep fit and hold on to their sport amid displacement and the destruction of facilities.
The training sessions offer a rare routine in a landscape marked by war. But space is limited, equipment is scarce and classes can stop when conditions become unsafe, according to the Palestinian Information Centre.
Coach Mahmoud al-Karnaz said his group has 35 athletes, too many to train together in the small venue. He divides them into groups of about 10, with children, girls and young men training separately.
His aim, he said, is to keep the sport going and encourage young people to take part, despite the destruction of clubs and lack of resources.
Before the war, his athletes had been preparing for competitions abroad. The conflict put travel and participation out of reach, he said, and brought deaths and injuries among members of the sporting community.
The athletes still dream of reaching podiums and raising the Palestinian flag, but a lack of equipment and safe places to train is holding back their progress. Al-Karnaz said he sometimes has to stop sessions when risks increase.
For taekwondo athlete Omar al-Habbash, the sport builds agility, fitness and self-confidence, as well as teaching him how to defend himself.
Despite the fear created by the conditions around him, he said he did not want to give up an activity that had become part of his life.
“Palestinians love life,” he said, adding that he hoped conditions would improve, equipment would become available and damaged clubs would be rebuilt.
Abdullah Mohammed, who has practised taekwondo since 2016, said the war had made it much harder to obtain equipment. Athletes continue with what little they have, he said, despite concerns about injuries and the lack of suitable gear.
He hopes to represent Palestine in international competitions, describing sport as both a means of self-defence and a way to demonstrate the Palestinian presence to the world.
The athletes’ struggle reflects the wider damage to sport in Gaza. Mustafa Siam, secretary-general of the Palestinian Sports Media Federation, said 1,014 people from the sporting, youth and scouting movements had been killed during the war.
More than 560 of them were football players, referees, coaches or administrators affiliated with the Palestinian Football Association, he said. More than 265 sports facilities have been fully or partially destroyed, according to Siam.
The damage has reduced the places available for training and disrupted club activities. Rebuilding sport, athletes and officials say, will require more than restarting competitions: clubs and facilities must be restored, and young people need safe places to train.
For now, the taekwondo group gathers when circumstances allow, practising among the ruins with limited space and equipment. Its members still hope to travel to competitions, reach the podium and raise the Palestinian flag.
