On one of the beaches of Gaza, young men are seriously training to practice Taekwondo movements, with their coach, Basil Abu Shammala, and they hope to realize their dream of participating in international Taekwondo championships.
Abu Shammala said, “We are the first team in Palestine to practice taekwondo, a team that combines traditional taekwondo movements with gymnastics and acrobatics.”
The trainee, Mohamed El-Sakka, said: “Our aspirations and dreams are not always realized. We hope to participate in a tournament, but we are surprised by the closure of the crossings, and this thing prevents us from participating in international tournaments.”
These 15 young apprentices have been meeting daily to practice traditional taekwondo moves and other exercises since they chose the sport, either on the beach in Gaza or in a small, underfunded centre.
The young men hope to achieve their dream of becoming world champions in the sport of taekwondo, and reach stardom.
