A women’s boxing club in Gaza, the first project of its kind in the Strip, is preparing Palestinian girls and women to one day fight around the worldchallenging conservative and patriarchal values in the blockaded enclave ruled by the Islamist Hamas movement.
After years of working for it, a few months ago a group of boxing enthusiasts founded the Palestinian Boxing Center for Women, which there are already dozens of girls and young people between the ages of 8 and 29 who train regularly at their gym at the Al Mashtal Sports Club, in the capital of Gaza.
There they break the preconceived idea that sports like this are only for men, and they also challenge gender conventions, roles and stereotypes that still dominate a large part of Gazans.
A SEED PLANTED
“Our community traditions force women to stay away from many types of sports under the guise that they are limited to men.“But now we have planted the seed of boxing for women in Gaza,” Osama Ayoub, co-founder of the club and trainer of female boxers, told EFE.
This 39-year-old Gazan already considered the project when he participated as a boxer in tournaments in Algeria, Egypt, South Korea or Jordan, and since 2017 he started training women on the beach and public parks in Strip.
In international competitions witnessed the “amazing performance of Arab women of various ages” and inspired them to envision a Palestinian model that included women.
When Ayoub shared his idea with friends and colleagues, none of them thought it would work, because they live in a community where people tend to have very conservative ideas about women, he explained.
WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT
As the project continues, the coach says many people change their view of women’s boxing when they see the positive effects on the athletes’ mood.
“I love this sport because it gives us confidence and teaches us to defend ourselves“said Hala Ayoub, 18, to EFE.
Her goal, she added, is to “show everyone” in the ring that this sport is “for men and women” and that “every woman has the right to play the sport she loves and achieve her ambitions.”
“I wish to participate in international competitions, to raise the flag of Palestine and to make us society proud.“, he highlighted.
For Jodi al Nimer, a 15-year-old Palestinian teenager who practices boxing at the gym, this sport opened her eyes to a new world and gave her a positive energy that allowed her to overcome some fears.
“My dream is to be a doctor when I grow up and a boxing hero, to represent Palestine in Arab and international competitions.“said Al Nimer in his boxing uniform at the gym, where he was doing aerobics and boxing against a heavy bag with his big gloves.
INTERNATIONAL PROJECTION
As Ali Abdul Shafi, another co-founder of the club, explained to EFE, the project started just three months ago with financing from him and his partner Ayoub, as well as a bank loan .
With this they were able to get the gym ready and buy the necessary equipment and tools to get started, and now they are looking to expand the project with the support of an international boxing club with financial resources and connection so that their athletes can participate in championships abroad.
This represents an even greater challenge given the tight blockade Israel has applied to Gaza by land, sea and air since 2007, when Hamas – which Israel considers a terrorist group – took control of it. Added to this are strict restrictions applied by Egypt, which also shares a border with the Strip.
Since then, the movement of people in the enclave has been greatly reduced.which also affects athletes trying to obtain permits to train or compete abroad, even in the occupied West Bank.
Added to this is the lack of basic products or equipment to practice certain sports due to Israel’s restrictions on the entry of certain goods, which is why many athletes face a difficult daily struggle to continue their sport in a scenario of material scarcity.
However, despite this scenario, at the women’s boxing center in Gaza They do not give up and look for all ways to give young people more horizons They feel more and more empowered.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
