Video: Meet the women of Gaza’s wheelchair karate team

21 March 2019

This karate team in Gaza is comprised of all women who use wheelchairs.

The team was established by coach Hasan al-Rai in 2016, when he was training a karate team for the blind and they scored third place in an international tournament.

“At first, I faced difficulty with my parents, how a girl with a disability would practice karate. I faced the same difficulty with society,” Suha Muqat, a member of the team, told The Electronic Intifada.

The team lacks consistent funding for uniforms and transportation costs, but members are determined to practice in the hopes of one day representing Palestine internationally.

“I wish the Israeli siege would be lifted and we can represent Palestine abroad, and to prove that people with disabilities have a big role in society,” Rabab Anwar, another member of the team, said.

Video by Mohammed Asad.